The growing market for plant-based dairy
The demand for plant-based dairy is growing rapidly, as consumers move away from animal products.
Consumer preferences are changing
Consumers who purchase plant-based dairy, like soy, almond or oat products, once represented a niche market. Not anymore. Interest in plant-based dairy is booming across Europe, Africa and the Middle East as more and more consumers focus on health and wellness and consider the environmental impact of their purchasing decisions.
While consumer preferences can differ widely, taste is the main factor when deciding which products to buy.
Exploring the plant-based dairy boom
In early 2020, Givaudan conducted a study with 1,800 consumers across Europe, Africa and the Middle East to explore the plant-based dairy boom. This has enhanced our understanding of who consumes plant-based dairy, what they’re looking for, the motivations behind their purchases and how COVID-19 has accelerated this trend.
We’ve summarised our findings in a consumer insights paper, which is available for download.
The five types of plant-based dairy consumers
Our Consumer and Sensory Insights team has identified five different types of plant-based dairy consumers:
- Eco-warriors: motivated by health benefits, animal welfare, and environmental concerns.
- Healthy hardcores: motivated primarily by health factors, but relatively neutral in terms of ethics.
- Flavour cravers: taste is the main driver – relatively neutral towards health and the environment.
- Value hunters: value for money is an important purchase driver – neutral to all other motivating factors.
- Trendy trialists: likely to choose dairy alternatives because they are ‘something new and different’, and because of an interest in nutritional benefits.