Plant based market. What motivates Poles to buy vegetable milk?

On the occasion of Vegetable Milk Day, we decided to take a look at the market for plant-based beverages, which are increasingly being placed on Polish store shelves. What motivates Poles to buy vegetable milk? What is the direction of consumption of cow's milk substitutes? What impact does the crisis and inflation have on this? Grzegorz moch of GfK Polonia answers these questions, among others.

Is vegetable milk a dietary supplement or an alternative to animal milk?

First of all, it should be emphasized that not" milk", but a drink. Of course, I say this somewhat inconsistently, because the terms "soy milk", "Oat milk" or "vegetable oil" still exist in colloquial speech, even though they are even prohibited by law. Answering the question – in my opinion, it is more of an alternative to milk, although indeed many buyers indicate curiosity and a desire to try novelty as the reason for buying plant-based dairy substitutes, which indicates openness to new sensations. Issues related to animal welfare and the impact of production on the environment are of great importance, which, in my opinion, also indicates that we consider plant-based products as an alternative to traditional ones, the production of which is associated with a negative impact on the climate or the "exploitation" of animals.

What motivates Poles to consume plant-based beverages?

I spoke earlier about curiosity and the desire to try new things, as well as about issues related to ethics and ecology. Respondents also point to health issues-such as lower fat content or saying that plant-based foods are simply "healthier" than zoonoses. In the context of dairy alternative drinks (I try, as you hear, to carefully avoid the term "vegetable milk"), this is an important point – I am referring to the lack of lactose, from which many of us suffer from intolerance. In this context, it should also be noted that the segment of lactose-free products is also quite important in the category of milk and other dairy products (I'm talking about traditional dairy products).

Source: Reasons for Eating vegan cheese Substitutes (data from GfK Polonia's White is White Report)

Which of the available plant-based beverages are the most popular?

To begin with, in the entire plant based diary category, drinks (i.e., so-called "milk") are approx. 3/4 of the purchased volume and approx. 50% of the purchase price. This is definitely the dominant segment among plant-based dairy substitutes. These are followed by yoghurts. As for beverages, products based on oats and soybeans, which are the most commonly used raw materials for production, compete for the palm tree. Other raw materials are spelt, almonds or rice, but the share of these products in purchases is definitely less.

Who is a consumer of vegetable milk and how many of us are attracted to such products?

Plant-based alternatives to milk are available in purchases of approx. Polish households. Looking at the customer structure-keep in mind that we are talking about products that are slightly more expensive than traditional ones – we clearly see that younger buyers, from larger centers / cities and with an upper-middle income, are more important. This is also quite typical for similar segments in other categories.

Source: approach to meat consumption / diet (data from the GfK Polonia report "white is white")

How has interest in the vegetable milk category in Poland been shown in recent years?

Plant-based milk substitutes attract new customers, and we are also seeing an increase in the volume and cost of purchasing categories.

What is the direction of consumption of cow's milk substitutes? What impact does the crisis and inflation have on this?

Of course, the crisis, inflation and the dynamic growth of prices and the cost of living have a big impact on changing consumer behavior. Search for cheaper alternatives (for example, transfer purchases to retailers ' own brands), customer behavior in accordance with the principles of smart Shopping (already? Polish shoppers behave "smartly" when shopping, whereas 4-5 years ago it was just under 50%) and rationalization of their expenses is reflected in the purchases of most product categories. However, I don't think this means deviating from the category as such. Rather, we should expect lower growth dynamics.

Source: data on purchases from the GfK Polonia household panel (purchases made by Polish households for their own needs, i.e. brought home)

Are Polish consumers open to new products?

Polish consumers indicate their interest and desire to try new products as the main reason to try plant – based products – both in the meat and dairy categories. Personally, I think this is a great opportunity for creative and creative producers.

The challenge, on the other hand, is to offer products that you will want to buy again after trying them. And then another one…

Current fashion or obvious changes - what are your forecasts for the entire market of zoonotic alternatives?

In my opinion, we could have talked about fashion a few years ago. Today it is a trend, but no one is surprised that there are "lean"people in the family or among friends. The growing range of products, the interest of retailers and producers, including meat processors, indicate that we are facing changes that are "working" and happening. In my opinion, plant-based alternatives have always entered our menu and will remain in it. I don't expect a 2 - or 3-digit boost in the volume or value of purchases, as it was 2 or 3 years ago, but I think this segment will continue to grow. I think that this will not go in the direction of a " plant-based alternative "to dairy products, meat and products like" beet tartare " or "soy knuckle", but rather in the direction of complementing the menu, another way of eating or a full-fledged diet based on plant products. In short, flexitarianism (restriction of meat consumption), not vegetarianism / veganism (refusal of meat or zoonotic products in general).

I should add here that I say this as a declared carnivore who is not going to give up his culinary tastes, but does not mind trying new products that have nothing to do with meat. Although I don't like vegetable” milk", I'm sorry. I tried it, not my tastes.

The interview was conducted with Grzegorz Mech, Business Development Manager for the GfK Polonia Household Group.