abillion Reports 51% of US Members Adopting Reducetarian Lifestyle

“Understanding the American Plant-based Consumer” shows adoption of plant-based behaviors across a wide range of industries

Highlights

1. California, New York and Florida lead the plant-based wave in the US with female millennials and Gen Zs at the forefront of the vegan movement.
2. The reducetarian lifestyle dominates for now, which is helping to move more American youth to transition towards veganism in the coming years.
3. 47% of alternative meat consumers are motivated by health factors, higher than the 33% share that indicated ethical reasons.

abillion, a rapidly growing social media and e-commerce platform designed to help people and businesses worldwide become more sustainable, has released a deep-dive report looking at American Plant-based Consumers behavior within this high-growth industry.

Analyzing close to 1.4 million consumer reviews over a three year period, abillion’s report shows five key shifts in consumer behavior within the US market.

1. Strongest plant-based consumer interest stems from California, New York and Florida, with female millennials and Gen Zs at the forefront. They make up 65% of users within abillion’s US database.
2. Key motivators for the shift to plant-based products are centered around greater awareness for the environment and health.
3. Reducetarian lifestyle dominates American youth as they reduce their meat and dairy intake.
4. Increase in consumer preference for plant-based snacking presents a unique growth opportunity for large retailers and food manufacturers as they develop new food labels and products to address this gap. Expected CAGR of 8.7% from the current value of $32b.
5. Sustainable skincare, in particular, sun care shows a growth of around 35% with high brand concentration.

In addition to changes in behavior, we see plant-based products steadily gaining interest among the younger crowd. A recent online survey conducted by researchers from Oklahoma State University indicates that about 10% of Americans over the age of 18 consider themselves vegan or vegetarian as of January 2022. Within the app, abillion has seen an increase in the number of American members showing more interest in plant-based foods from flexitarians and omnivores, fueling the growing reducetarian movement. These people make up 51% of the American members.

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Amid COVID-19 pandemic lockdown regulations, US vegan demand skyrocketed by 6X, in particular, plant-based retail shopping, as consumers became more health-conscious. Retailers and grocers saw this as an opportunity to tap into a new and burgeoning market. Kraft Heinz partnered with Chile’s NotCo, while forward-thinking companies like Calbee America and Campbell revamped their vegan products for better household penetration; sending signals to the rest of the industry that these trends are on the uptick. Traditional supermarkets and groceries are also capitalizing on this movement by launching their own plant-based private labels. Trader Joe’s takes the lead in this race.

“The US is one of our key markets, making up 22% of our global community. It’s exciting for us to share insights into the preferences of our American community. We’re sharing such insights in order to drive consumer adoption, consumer advocacy and help make vegan options loved by people and businesses around the world.” Vikas Garg founder and CEO of abillion shares. “Above all, the work that we do here has a direct positive impact on the environment and animals. I see abillion as a catalyst for meaningful and intentional change for the future.”

The report also points out other lifestyle changes and preferences within the US market. In particular, the personal care and beauty category with sun care emerging as the fastest-growing segment at 35%. Other fast-growing segments in the app are reviews for chips, cookies, crackers, and chocolate, these categories rose by 83%, 74% and 63% respectively as healthier snacking habits become more widespread.

Across the country, there is a strong indication that businesses should prioritize product innovation and conscious marketing to target the overlap across health, environmental and ethical factors.