From greenqueen.com.hk
Finland’s largest supermarket, S Group, has revealed that sales of plant-based products were on the rise last year, alongside growing interest in blended meat.
The owner of nearly half of Finland’s retail market share has yet again witnessed growth in sales of plant-based proteins, with a helping hand from blended meat.
S Group, the parent company of Prisma, S-market, Sale, and Alepa supermarkets, suggests that consumer interest in plant-based products has been growing for some time now. And this is backed by its data, which points to a rise in consumption of vegetables and plant protein sources over the last year.
“Looking at individual product types, sales growth has been driven especially by plant‑based protein sources such as tofu and pulled‑oats‑type products,” Hans Backström, sales director of S Group’s grocery division, tells Green Queen.
Tofu sales expanded by 13% this January, compared to the same month a year ago, while pulled oats – a homegrown range of plant-based meat alternatives – witnessed a near-70% hike. S Group shoppers were also interested in various vegetable protein strips.
Backström credits the category-specific growth to campaigns like Vegaanihaaste, Finland’s answer to Veganuary. “This is a campaign we have been involved in regularly at the beginning of the year, when consumer interest in healthier choices tends to be high,” he says.
Tofu sales exceeded supply at times
S Group, which occupies 49% of Finland’s grocery market, says Finns are increasingly looking for climate-smart and health-conscious options on their plates, leading them to diversify their protein sources.
Tofu sales at S Group grocery stores grew by 16% compared to 2024, as customers made repeat purchases amid a long-term growth trend, to a point when sales sometime exceeded supply.
From a broader perspective, the growth of plant‑based ‘meat‑like’ products reflects a gradual shift toward more diverse protein choices in everyday diets, rather than a comprehensive move away from animal‑based products.
Aside from plant proteins, other vegan categories sold faster at the start of this year as well. “Sales of plant-based drinks and frozen vegetables grew by 4% in January from a year ago,” he says.
“Demand for S Group’s own pre-washed, chopped and peeled Easy and Fast vegetable products, which were launched last autumn, also grew throughout the rest of the year and January.”
Blended proteins could accelerate meat reduction in Finland
The data comes just over a year after Finland updated its national dietary guidelines, which call on citizens to lower red meat consumption by 30% and limit processed meats as much as possible, and replace them with plant proteins (preferably local ones).
Still, the share of Finnish consumers who eat meat reached a four-year high in 2025, and research shows that 53% of shoppers would not support a policy recommendation to halve meat consumption.
A new class of products can help bridge this gap. Blended meat, which combines conventional meat with plant-based proteins, has been gaining popularity across Europe, and Finland is no exception.
“We are seeing growing interest in products that combine meat and plant‑based protein,” says Backström. “These so‑called blended or hybrid products have been identified in our sales data as an emerging trend. Overall, these products appear to appeal to customers who want to diversify their protein sources while still retaining familiar flavours and usage occasions.”
For instance, the beef-pea and chicken-broad-bean minced meats and the finalist product of the Finnish Success Recipe competition, the Sopu dumpling – which combines meat and plant protein – have attracted widespread interest from consumers.
Blended meats are already taking over European shelves, with retailers like Lidl, Aldi, Albert Heijn and Colruyt Group all selling own-label versions in markets including the Netherlands and Belgium.
By using less beef per product, these innovations allow companies to lower their emissions impact and boost the nutritional value of protein offerings, all while contributing to their goals of increasing the share of plant proteins sold.
S Group has a target to ensure that 65% of all food sold is plant-based by 2030, which includes categories like vegetables and cereals. As of 2024, this share stood at 60%.
“We have not yet published a verified full‑year figure for 2025, so we are not able to comment on any potential change at this stage. The updated figure will be published at the end of March,” says Backström.
In a LinkedIn post, Stella Hoynalanmaa, director of the food programme at WWF Finland, said the data yet again outlines how Finns are “moving towards diets that are better for their health and for the planet”: “The shift is particularly strong in January – but it also continues to grow year-on-year.”
https://www.greenqueen.com.hk/s-group-ryhma-finland-plant-based-vegan-sales-blended-meat/
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