Plant-Based Basics Now Undercut Meat and Dairy at Every Major Dutch Supermarket

From vegconomist.com

A plant-based basket of staple groceries is cheaper per kilogram than a comparable animal-based basket at all nine major Dutch supermarkets surveyed, according to new price research from ProVeg Nederland. Consumers save an average of 18% on a basic basket, with the gap reaching 30% at the cheapest chain.

“The more accessible and affordable plant-based products are, the easier it becomes for consumers to actually make that choice.”

The Utrecht-based food awareness organisation compared the lowest-priced plant-based meat and dairy alternatives against the lowest-priced animal versions in packaging up to one kilogram at Albert Heijn, Aldi, Dirk, Ekoplaza, Hoogvliet, Jumbo, Lidl, Picnic, and Plus. The basic basket covered mince, burgers, butter, milk, yoghurt, and cheese. Even plant-based products in small packs now often carry a lower kilo price than their animal counterparts sold in bulk formats, a reversal ProVeg attributes partly to supermarket private-label pricing and partly to inflation weighing more heavily on animal products.

Private label drives the largest savings

The biggest relative saving on basic groceries was recorded at Plus (30%), followed by Dirk (28%) and Lidl (24%). Ekoplaza showed the narrowest gap at 5%. Burgers, chicken-style pieces, and mince were the most favourably priced against meat, at 31%, 29%, and 21% respectively.

“The idea that plant-based products are expensive holds many people back from eating healthier and more sustainably. By pricing plant-based alternatives slightly lower than the animal version, the sustainable choice also becomes the cheapest choice. We are seeing more and more supermarkets consciously acting on that,” said Martine van Haperen, food industry expert at ProVeg Nederland.

Sales data lines up with this. GFI Europe figures cited in the research show cheaper plant-based private-label products grew revenue 12% in 2025, while pricier branded products fell 12%.

© Albert Heijn

Yoghurt and mayonnaise remain the outliers

Not every category has closed the gap. In 13% of cases the plant-based version costs at least twice as much as the animal one. Plant-based mayonnaise averages four times the price of egg mayonnaise, and the cheapest plant-based yoghurt runs roughly double the cheapest dairy yoghurt.

Van Haperen linked this to volume and format. “If plant-based alternatives are bought little, sales volumes stay low and offering a sharp price becomes harder for supermarkets. Plant-based yoghurts are also barely available in a litre carton. That makes it harder to offer the same low kilo price as with dairy. There are still opportunities for supermarkets to expand the range further.”

Lidl was the only chain to place in the top three on both the basic and extended baskets, which added items such as chicken-style pieces, shawarma, sausage, schnitzel, and mayonnaise. ProVeg pointed to the retailer’s policy of pricing plant-based meat and dairy variants at or below animal equivalents in comparable pack sizes.

The research frames retailer pricing as a lever for the Dutch grocery sector’s target of a 60/40 plant-to-animal protein sales ratio by 2030. Van Haperen noted, “The more accessible and affordable plant-based products are, the easier it becomes for consumers to actually make that choice.”

https://vegconomist.com/market-and-trends/plant-based-basics-now-undercut-meat-and-dairy-at-every-major-dutch-supermarket/