UK Retailers Have Plant-Based Distribution Locked In, but New Report Says They’re Losing Sales at the Shelf

A new report from ProVeg International and food systems consultancy Planeatry Alliance concludes that UK supermarkets have largely solved the plant-based distribution question but are leaving commercial value on the table through weak in-store activation. The findings draw on store audits across 10 UK retailers, market analysis, product-level data, and industry interviews.

Blueprint for Plant-Based Commercial Growth: Realising the Commercial Opportunity in Protein Diversification was launched to coincide with London Climate Action Week.

Distribution achieved, activation lagging

Audits found that none of the 10 retailers assessed had integrated plant-based products into broader in-store corporate communications. Execution on fixture signposting, shopper communication, meal inspiration, and category navigation varied widely between retailers, with the highest-scoring chain achieving under half of the maximum possible activation score.

“The real opportunity is not simply putting more products on shelves. Retailers have largely achieved distribution. The next challenge is helping shoppers discover products, understand how to use them, and buy them again,” said Joanna Trewern, Director of Partnerships and Institutional Engagement at ProVeg International.

UK Retailers Have Plant-Based Distribution Locked In, but New Report Says They’re Losing Sales at the Shelf — © Morrisons

A category moving at different speeds

The report pushes back against framing plant-based as a single category in decline. While certain meat alternative subcategories face commercial pressure, dairy alternatives are described as resilient, and ingredient-led proteins are showing what the report calls strong growth signals. Year-on-year growth was identified in tofu, tempeh, beans, and pulses, attributed to consumer interest in protein, fibre, value, and recognisable ingredients.

Trewern continued, “Dairy alternatives have become part of everyday shopping habits, while ingredient-led proteins are increasingly aligned with what consumers are looking for from food. The lesson for retailers is that plant-based should not be treated as a single category with a single growth strategy.”

Protein diversification reframed as a resilience issue

The report positions protein diversification as a commercial response to commodity volatility, inflationary pressures, climate-related supply risks, and shifting consumer preferences, rather than purely a sustainability question. A more balanced protein portfolio, the authors argue, supports shopper relevance and supply chain resilience alongside category growth.

“Protein diversification is becoming a retail resilience issue. Retailers that build stronger, more balanced protein portfolios will be better positioned to respond to changing consumer demand and future supply chain pressures,” said Trewern.

A five-stage activation framework

The report introduces what it calls a “stocked to scaled” activation framework, structured around five stages designed to help retailers move from product availability to category performance. Recommendations cover category navigation, connecting products to meal occasions, sharper shopper communication, building demand without leaning on discounting, and embedding protein diversification into wider commercial planning.

“Retailers that build stronger, more balanced protein portfolios will be better positioned to respond to changing consumer demand and future supply chain pressures,” Trewern said.

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Distribution achieved, activation lagging

A category moving at different speeds

Protein diversification reframed as a resilience issue

A five-stage activation framework

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