Report: In Germany, a Plant-Based Shopping Basket is Now Cheaper Than Its Animal-Based Counterpart

From vegconomist.com

According to new data from ProVeg, German consumers who purchase a basket of plant-based goods now save 5% relative to the cost of a comparable basket of animal-based products. This is especially notable because as recently as 2022, a plant-based shopping basket was 52% more expensive than an animal-based one.

The new study looks at products from the local discounters Aldi Nord, Aldi Süd, Lidl, Netto, and Penny, along with the full-range supermarkets Edeka, Kaufland, and Rewe. It compares the cheapest plant-based alternative with the cheapest animal-based equivalent that comes in a comparable packaging size. In total, prices have been collected at 153 stores across 14 federal states.

Out of the eight retailers studied, seven offer a price advantage to consumers purchasing plant-based products. The exception is Netto, where a plant-based basket remains 11% more expensive than its animal-based counterpart. In contrast, a plant-based basket is 18% cheaper than an animal-based one at Lidl.

However, many stores do not carry a retailer’s entire plant-based range, with the availability of plant-based alternatives averaging 75% over the survey period. This increases to 94% at Kaufland and Rewe, whereas at Aldi Nord and Süd, plant-based products are only available at just over half of stores.

The price difference between a plant-based and animal-based basket at all the retailers studied. © ProVeg

Achieving price parity

Some plant-based products are more affordable than others; alternatives to milk and burgers are cheaper than their animal-based counterparts at all the retailers studied, and the same is true for cold cuts and sliced ​​cheese (except at Netto). However, plant-based cream cheese and fish fingers remain more expensive than the animal-based versions at all eight supermarket chains.

The new study comes after many European retailers — including Lidl and Kaufland — reduced the prices of plant-based alternatives to achieve parity with their animal-based equivalents.

ProVeg notes that choosing bulk packages can also help consumers to save money, though larger sizes are often not available for plant-based products.

“Packaging sizes can significantly influence purchasing and eating habits,” said Virginia Cecchini Kuskow, market expert at ProVeg. “Oversized packaging should be avoided for animal products, while larger packages are perfectly acceptable for plant-based alternatives.”

https://vegconomist.com/studies-numbers/germany-plant-based-shopping-basket-cheaper-animal-based-counterpart/