The “Canadian Consumer Perspectives on Plant-based Meat” report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com’s offering.
The plant-based meat category is no longer being driven solely by vegetarian demand and is stimulating interest in a far broader base of consumers than the vegetarian spectrum alone. Although most Canadians still eat meat multiple times per week, many are currently eating it less than before or have stopped eating meat altogether. Health concerns are the most prominent driver in the reduction of meat consumption, but cost, animal welfare, and global warming also feature prominently.
Demographically, the consumer’s attitude towards plant-based meat varies largely according to age and region while some differences are also observed in relation to education and employment status.
Consumer opinion about plant-based meat is still in the formative stage due to the newness of the category. So far, a trial has been driven largely by curiosity while convenience also seems to have played a role. Purchase drivers and barriers vary significantly between category users and non-users. Prominent considerations include the degree of similarity to the real meat, health considerations as well as environmental and animal welfare concerns.
The report evaluates that has the potential to affect the consumer experience, falling into four distinct categories: table stakes, key drivers, hidden drivers, and ‘nice-to-haves’. This analysis highlights significant variation in the way different groups (for example users and ex-users) relate to the category.
The report includes user assessments of eighteen brands of plant-based meat currently available in Canada, including Beyond Meat, Yves, President’s Choice, and Impossible, among others. Overall user ratings and Net Promoter Scores are provided for all 18 brands. Perceptual maps indicating the extent to which consumers associate fifteen distinct attributes with the eight most prominent brands are also included.
When the study’s findings are distilled in context with relevant global trends, three main criteria for success are identified. These, along with a fourth, ‘enabling’ factor, provide brand managers with clear direction on how to gain and defend a dominant position in the market for their brands.
The primary objective of the study is to evaluate attitudes, behaviors, and consumption habits of Canadian consumers with regard to plant-based meat products, in particular, focusing on:
- Current consumption patterns and trends
- Category purchase triggers and purchasing habits
- Pricing expectations and likely response to a reduction in price
- Demand drivers and barriers
- Importance of product attributes and claims
- Consumer experience with brands they’ve used
- Brand awareness, usage, and purchase intent
- Brand associations
METHODOLOGY:
- The study was conducted online in English and French
- All respondents are: resident in Canada; 18 years or older; primarily, or jointly responsible for grocery purchases
- The sample is demographically balanced by gender, age, and region
- Fieldwork was completed in July 2021 and the report was published in August 2021
- Approximately 60% of respondents are current consumers of plant-based meat product/s or are open to the idea of eating plant-based meat. The remaining 40% are either non-users or ex-users
Key Topics Covered:
SECTION 1 OVERVIEW
SECTION 2 WHO IS THE CONSUMER?
Demographic profiles of users and non-users
- Category awareness
- Category purchase behavior
- Category consumption habits among users
- A predisposition towards plant-based meat by region
- Demographic profile summary – user vs non-user
SECTION 3 PREFERENCES AND PRACTICES
Dietary preferences, practices, and consumption behavior
- Dietary preferences
- Incidence of dietary practices among consumers
- Meat consumption habits
- Reasons for eating less meat
SECTION 4 PURCHASE TRIGGERS AND FAVOURED FORMATS
Factors prompting category trial and most preferred formats
- Initial purchase triggers
- The appeal of different product formats
- The appeal of different kinds of meat equivalent
- Plant-based meat consumption trend
- Influence of price on the purchase decision
- Price elasticity of demand
SECTION 5 BEHAVIOURAL DRIVERS AND BARRIERS
Behavioral factors that promote or inhibit purchase
- All respondents
- Users
- Potential users
- Ex-users
- Non-users
- Differing perspectives of users and non-users
- Demographic variation in drivers and barriers
SECTION 6 WHAT DRIVES THE USER EXPERIENCE?
What consumers look for and what they experience
- User experience drivers overall
- Driver analysis takeaways
- Driver profile summary
- Driver profiles by age
- Driver profiles of users and ex-users
SECTION 7 BRAND AWARENESS AND USAGE
Consumer awareness and usage of available brands
- Unprompted brand awareness
- Prompted awareness and usage
- Prompted awareness by age
SECTION 8 How consumers rate the brands they know and what they associate with them
BRAND PERCEPTIONS
- Overall brand rating
- Net promoter scores
- Detailed evaluation of the user experience
- Brand associations
SECTION 9 OBSERVATIONS AND CONCLUSIONS
Summary of key findings and their implications
- Consolidation of findings with observations and conclusions
- Four global trends influencing consumer receptiveness
- Three pillars of success
- One factor especially critical to implementation
Companies Mentioned
- Amy’s Kitchen
- Beyond Meat
- Boca
- Field Roast
- Gardein
- Good Catch
- Impossible Foods
- Lightlife
- Meatless Farm
- Modern Meat
- Morningstar Farms
- Nuggs
- Ozo
- President’s Choice
- Sol Cuisine
- The Very Good Butchers
- Yves
- Zoglo’s
For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/nfkr3s
SOURCE: Research and Markets
