Based on retail data from NielsenIQ for a total of 13 European countries, including Austria, it was determined that sales of pure plant-based foods across Europe increased by six percent in 2022 and by 22 percent since 2020 to 5.7 billion euros. The consumption of purely plant-based foods is visibly gaining in importance among people and is emerging as a sustainable development in our society.
Verena Wiederkehr,BILLA Head of Plant-Based Business Development, says: "As one of the largest food retailers in Austria and a plant-based pioneer in the industry, we naturally perceive the increasing demand. For some time now, we have been pursuing a comprehensive plant-based strategy in order to respond to the needs of our customers. They want versatile products and ingredients with which they can prepare enjoyable plant-based dishes. We at BILLA are happy to support this climate-friendly and varied diet with what are now more than 4,000 purely plant-based products. That's the largest plant-based range in Austria!" This number was determined by the Vegan Society Austria and includes all those products that are purely plant-based / made without animal ingredients.
Largest plant-based tasting in Europe: BILLA greatly expands plant-based assortment
Last fall, around 3,000 plant-based products in the meat, sausage and fish segments were tasted as part of a large-scale tasting by the BILLA plant-based Expert:innen team.
For years, BILLA's own brands have increasingly used plant-based products and offer customers a colorful variety of products. On the basis of the tasting, the product range of the Vegavita private label, among others, was largely revised and new recipes were developed, which will be successively added to the assortment. Following a comprehensive brand relaunch, Vegavita has also had a new design since the beginning of the year and its modern packaging promises even more lightness, enjoyment and joie de vivre.
Innovative plant-based brands enrich purely plant-based BILLA variety
BILLA also offers a stage for innovative product creations and new brands in all its BILLA PLUS locations and in selected BILLA stores, thus further expanding its role as a plant-based pioneer in Austria: For example, since the beginning of the year, selected products from the Spanish plant-based brand Heura can be found exclusively on store shelves. The latest additions are a purely plant-based fried chicken and a plant-based, gluten-free fried fish with algae.
Available immediately and for the first time in this country in cooperation with BILLA are selected products of the Billie Green brand - a brand of the startup The Plantly Butchers from Germany. The Plantly Butchers convinced the BILLA Expert:innen team with its plant-based sausage products such as plant-based ham cubes and plant-based bacon and salami - all without any additives. A special highlight is the vegetable fillet steak from the Slovenian start-up Juicy Marbles, which is the noblest in its category thanks to its marbling, juicy core and crispy crust.
Also always good at BILLA were tasty new products from the plant-based sector: Peanut Cookie and Choco Cookie Dough ice cream. The steadily growing variety in the service areas also makes people happy with plant-based products: Currently available in the bakery store, for example, are an oven-fresh Vegetable Burek and, as a special offer item, a purely plant-based Raspberry Croissant.
BILLA PFLANZILLA - a great success
As a lighthouse project of the BILLA plant-based strategy, BILLA PFLANZILLA was opened in the heart of Vienna last September. BILLA is the first major retailer in Europe to offer customers a plant-based store with an innovative range of services. More than 2,500 purely plant-based products and services can be found in an area of over 200 m2. 800 of the products that can be discovered in PFLANZILLA are actually only available here in the store.
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