Text|FDL Counts Food Advocate Little ZhongFrom overseas to China, what are the new trends and trends in the plant-based milk market?
With the gradual increase of residents' income level and the continuous enrichment of food types, people pay more and more attention to health and dietary nutrition. Especially after the epidemic, consumers' pursuit of "health" has reached an unprecedented height, and they have begun to pay attention to the impact of social ecology, environmental sustainability and even the whole industry chain from the level of physical and mental health.
Taking advantage of the east wind of great health, not only the snack drinks with the health concept of "low sugar, low calorie and low fat" are gradually favored by consumers, but also plant milk has become a rising star in the new consumption field by virtue of its natural health and nutrition, unique taste and flavor, environmental protection and low carbon.
Whether it is a coffee shop, a new tea brand, or baked cakes, yogurt products, ice cream and other fields, there is a whirlwind of plant-based milk, and they have made their debut with cereal milk (such as oat milk), nut milk (such as almond milk), coconut milk, soybean milk and other plant-based protein raw materials, and innovative products with the concept of plant-based milk can be seen everywhere. According to Global Market Insights, the global plant-based milk market size has reached $14 billion in 2023In China, according to the "2020-2025 China Plant Protein Beverage Industry Market Demand and Investment Planning Analysis Report" released by the Industry Research Institute, plant milk in China shows great development potential, and the average annual growth rate of China's plant milk industry is expected to remain above 20% in the next few years, and the market size of plant milk is expected to exceed 300 billion yuan in 2025.
The plant-based milk trend is all the rage, but it's also accompanied by skepticism: it's just a wave that comes and goes fast.
So, how should we rationally look at the present and future of the plant-based milk industry?What are the forces that have driven plant-based milk to climb the market in the past few years?What does plant-based milk look like in the eyes of consumers?From overseas to China, what are the new trends and trends of plant-based milk?This article attempts to interpret the meaning of "plant-based milk" from a more essential level of consumer demand.
01 Popular all over the world, consumers who abandon milk look at plant-based milk to cross the era of food to satisfy hunger, eating and drinking has already added a layer of health preservation and spiritual enjoyment to consumers.
According to the "2023 Food Trend Insight Report" released by CBN Data Center (CBN Data) and Dingdong Food, consumers who are becoming more and more particular about their diet, in addition to having stricter requirements for daily food consumption, have more rational thinking in the later stage of the epidemic, among which "health and green, nutritional value, and product quality" have become new demand points that have increased since the epidemic.
At the same time, as the younger generation of consumers gradually stand on the main stage of consumption, they are full of curiosity about new things, pursue personalized, diversified and experiential consumption, and pay more attention to the interactive multi-dimensional experience created by food from the sensory and psychological aspects than to meet the daily food and clothing.
On the other hand, in the face of increasingly severe greenhouse climate change, loss of nature and biodiversity, as well as waste pollution and resource waste, people's environmental awareness and elastic diet consumption are becoming increasingly popular.
According to Euromonitor International's Top 10 Global Consumer Trends 2022 report, about 65% of global consumers were concerned about "climate change" in 2021. According to ADM consumption data, more than half (52%) of global consumers say they are flexitarians and are happy to use all kinds of plant-based and alternative proteins other than animals as protein in their daily diet**. Nearly two-thirds of those 52 percent are trying to add more plant-based foods to their diets to live a greener life.
Source: Shutterstock
Under the new consumption trend, a consumption storm about plant-based milk is also quietly brewing and taking shape.
The so-called plant-based milk refers to a drink similar to milk made by pressing and blending plant raw materials such as beans, nuts, and grains. It is considered the best alternative to animal milk because it is rich in protein and calcium, cholesterol-free, lactose-free, low in fat, relatively low in energy, crude fiber and other health advantages, and is sought after by vegetarians and lactose intolerant people.
In addition to the health label, compared with traditional animal husbandry, the production process of plant-based milk can reduce the carbon emissions of animal husbandry, is more environmentally friendly, and can better reflect the humanitarianism and responsibility to the animals themselves, which is in line with the concept of sustainable development. As a result, plant-based milks with unique natural advantages have become popular and fermented around the world, and have become the new favorite in the beverage industry.
Taking the United States as an example, according to a new consumer survey data released by Cargill, although 67% of consumers believe that dairy products are an indispensable part of their diet, 50% of American consumers said that they would choose dairy products and plant-based milk at the same time, and the reasons for choosing plant-based milk include lactose intolerance and dairy allergies, hoping to avoid the intake of hormones, saturated fats and antibiotics. In Europe, too, 43% of consumers say they are following the trend of buying plant-based milk.
In terms of category consumption preferences, the retail data of plant-based foods in the United States in 2021 released by Plant Based Foods shows that almond milk sales surpassed oat milk and became the first plant-based milk category in North America, accounting for 59%. Globally, Maxi MizeMarket Research data shows that almond milk has dominated the global plant-based milk market in 2022, accounting for 58% of the market share.
Source: MMR
The strong consumer demand has also further activated the vitality of the market. According to Maxi MizeMarket Research, the global plant-based milk market size was valued at USD 12.4 billion in 2022 and is expected to reach 258 by 2029$700 million, with a CAGR of 111%。
Source: MMR
In the distant future, with the gradual deepening of people's awareness of healthy living and environmental protection, the global consumption of plant-based milk will continue to grow.
02 From overseas to China, plant-based milk stirs up the Chinese beverage marketIn fact, plant-based milk is not a new concept. From the soybean milk of the Han Dynasty to the almond cheese of the Qing Dynasty, to the almond milk, walnut milk, coconut water, soy milk and other plant-based protein drinks that began to appear in the 70s of the 20th century, they all belong to this track, but the concept of "plant-based milk" was not popular in that era. As early as 1975, Chengde Lulu successfully launched China's first plant-based milk drink - almond milk through milestone innovation, creating a precedent for plant-based protein drinks in China. Since then, almond milk, as a new beverage category, has ignited the domestic plant-based protein beverage market with a spark.
After years of development, these brands have also become household names in China, with a market share of more than 70%-90% in their respective vertical fields. According to the data, Chengde Lulu still occupies more than 90% of the market share of the almond milk (milk) track in the field of plant-based protein drinks, and is an indispensable single product for gifts during the New Year's holidays.
Source: Chengde Lulu.
From scratch to brilliance step by step, the development of the industry is inseparable from the accumulation step by step. Production technology is upgrading, audience groups are iterating, sales channels are being reconstructed, communication methods are accelerating, and the transformation of new consumption to "people, goods, and fields" has made many plant-based milk brands and categories rise rapidly. Nowadays, under the trend of healthy consumption, plant-based milk has swept the world and penetrated into every corner of the world, and the rise of the Internet and the development of e-commerce channels have made the concept of plant-based milk come to China.
Open the major e-commerce platforms, not only the top American plant-based milk brands such as Oatly, Chobani, Silk, and Blue Diamond can be purchased from multiple channels, but also pea protein milk sproud, Canadian hummus milk, Korean almond milk, Swedish potato milk, etc.
In addition to the continuous enrichment of raw materials, in the consumption scene, plant milk has emerged a self-positioning evolution, walking into the major supermarkets you can see that it has become an independent category, chain fast food, street coffee shops, new tea and other different channels, scenes are also open to plant milk, more "plant milk +" product collocation can be seen everywhere.
According to the statistics of the China Business Industry Research Institute, plant-based milk is the fastest-growing market segment in China since 2007, and the revenue of the plant-based milk industry in 2021 will be 2117200 million yuan, with a compound growth rate of 34 in 2007 and 20215%。
The big cake of the 100 billion plant milk market has naturally attracted many new and old domestic brands to enter the game, and they have increased R&D and market investment to bet on the plant milk market, and launched their own new plant milk products to compete fiercely. Such as Danone, Coca-Cola, Tong.
1. Nongfu Spring, Yili, Mengniu and other beverage and dairy giants are vying to launch yogurt, ice cream, cheese and other products based on plant-based milk, which can be described as a full bloom.
The popularity of the market has made plant-based milk a "sweet spot" in the eyes of capital, and a number of start-up brands, including Daily Box, Omai Planet, Plant Label, Wheat Oye, Oatoat, etc., have also aroused the enthusiasm of investment institutions and have obtained financing.
Source: FDL Digital Food Claim.
In the turbulent market, plant-based milk brands have concentrated their efforts to drive the beverage market to be healthy and younger, and easily win the love and recognition of a group of young consumer groups.
From the perspective of consumer portraits, the "2021 Tea Plant Coffee - Three Major Beverage Category Analysis Report" released by Ipsos shows that the age group of China's plant-based protein beverage consumers is mainly concentrated in the age group of 18-34 years old, accounting for 69%, of which women are the main force, accounting for 75%;In terms of geographical distribution, plant-based milk is deeply affected.
Consumers in first- and second-tier cities welcomed it, accounting for 49% and 31% respectively.
There is no doubt that under the new wave of consumption, the development of plant-based milk is becoming more and more mature. However, "Shu Road is difficult", despite the existence of demand, plant milk still needs to be "repaired far away" to make great progress.
The product life cycle theory also tells us that products have their own life cycle and will face a decline from popularity. With the continuous development of the times, the transformation of consumption trends, and the intensive deployment of brands, thousands of entrepreneurs have taken up their knives, and under the interweaving of domestic and foreign products, the plant-based milk track has also begun to become homogeneous, and the development opportunities and challenges of the industry coexist.
03 The next threshold of plant-based milk: continuous innovation ability is the road to enterprise evergreen, under the new consumption era, consumers are changeable, "picky" and mysterious aggregates, which also reveals an important signal: when the basic needs are met, people put forward more diverse, higher standards of requirements for products, not only the pursuit of natural health, the most suitable, but also take into account the aesthetics of packaging, taste richness, nutritional value and other characteristics. In the past, the mainstream basic and popular products could not meet the rapidly changing needs of today's consumers.
For brands, if they want to stably gain a place in the fierce market and prolong the vitality of their products, they need to return to the most essential needs of consumers and start a new wave of product upgrades and iterations. Based on this, we have summarized the following four sustainable development ideas for the plant-based industry based on representative brands and innovative product cases at home and abroad: 1. Product is king, based on quality and innovation.
In the era of traditional department stores, brands mainly rely on the key entrance of "location".With the advent of the Internet e-commerce era, "traffic" has become an important factor to promote growthIn the new consumption era of continuous upgrading of consumption and continuous differentiation of demand, "quality" is the killer weapon for brands to win in the stock game.
As a long slope and thick snow track, the brand development of plant-based milk is not overnight, and the minds of consumers can not be easily seized overnight, and ultimately it is necessary to return to the product itself, and the brand needs to rely on the real products to moisten its hearts bit by bit in the interactive time of continuous communication and dialogue with consumers, and create a unique brand imprint with quality.
In this regard, it is particularly important to grasp the essential needs of consumers, strive to improve product strength, and focus on the creation and innovation and upgrading of product quality. As a pioneer in the plant protein industry, the national brand Chengde Lulu is an excellent case of active exploration and innovation in adhering to quality.
It is understood that Chengde Lulu focuses on the research and development of original high-end plant drinks around the brand strategy of "leading the development of plant drinks". With more than 40 years of deep cultivation of categories, in addition to years of brand culture accumulation, Chengde Lulu also has more than 100 intellectual property patents, and actively participates in the formulation of relevant standards in the field of plant protein, including two national standards, six industry standards, and a series of group standards and local standards.
With strong independent R&D and production capacity, Chengde Lulu continues to optimize product matrix planning and continuously make innovative breakthroughs, and its product line has expanded from a single almond milk to a comprehensive three-dimensional matrix including dew series, milk series, water series and other series to meet the diversified needs of consumers.
For a long time, Chengde Lulu has taken quality as the tenacious backing of the brand, starting from the needs of consumers, and striving to create every product. For example, at the beginning of this year, Chengde Lulu expanded the "milk" series on the basis of the almond "dew" series and launched a new plant-based milk product: Lulu almond milk.
According to the official introduction of the brand, this almond milk selects high-quality wild mountain almonds at 43 degrees north latitude as raw materials, escorts the quality from the source, and retains the nutritional value of wild mountain almonds to the greatest extent through the patented process technology of micron-level grinding, creating a mellow flavor and silky taste. It is reported that the protein content of the product is 48g can, containing 15 kinds of amino acids, 90% unsaturated fatty acids, based on "0 cholesterol, 0 trans fatty acids, lactose intolerance", firmly grasp the current emerging consumer groups to pursue the health concept of "light burden, light health".
Source: Chengde Lulu.
2. Tap the potential of plant-based raw materials and innovate a new world of taste.
For food and beverages, the stimulation of the five senses on "color, flavor and shape" brings people the supreme and beautiful experience at their fingertips. Among them, flavor, as the most basic and most direct attribute of food and beverage that affects consumers' decision-making power, is the innovation direction that every food brand pays great attention to and hopes to focus on.
Especially for consumers who "want and want", a single flavor and texture can no longer meet the pursuit of novelty. According to the Top 10 Flavor Trends of 2022 by Innova Market Insights, consumers are more eager than ever to experience food and beverages through food and beverages due to the pandemic, with more than 50% of Chinese consumers surveyed saying they want to be more bold in their food and beverage choices after the pandemic. At the same time, brand familiarity is also a consideration for consumers, with seven out of ten Chinese consumers saying that "if you want to try a new product, it is best to be familiar with the brand." ”
Not only that, with the awakening of health awareness, consumers are also more and more able to actively distinguish the health attributes of food, and will actively choose flavors and ingredients that make them feel healthier. Therefore, plant-based milk brands are also paying attention to this trend, either by integrating with health elements, or developing regional natural plant-based ingredients, in order to launch more creative and diversified products to adapt to the changing needs of consumers.
On December 12, 2023, Chengde Lulu officially announced the launch of two new plant-based protein drinks, including almond milk (original and chocolate) and "Light Forest Walk" almond tea.
According to reports, Chengde Lulu almond milk selects Xinjiang almond as the main raw material, adopts micron-level grinding process, and is matched with imported cocoa powder, and the vegetable protein content of each bottle (220ml) is 22g bottle, 85% unsaturated fatty acids, featuring 0 added sucrose, 0 cholesterol, 0 trans fatty acids, friendly to lactose intolerant people, taking into account taste and nutrition, can be used with breakfast, can also be used as afternoon tea anytime and anywhere DIY, or with light food, to meet the needs of different groups of people and different scenes for plant nutrition drinks.
Source: Chengde Lulu.
"Light Forest Walk" uses wild mountain almonds at 43 degrees north latitude and Yuhang Jingshan matcha as raw materials, focusing on low sugar and low burden. After light roasting and slow cooking, ingenuity grinding, the aroma of almond nuts and the fragrance of matcha are intertwined and integrated, aiming to inherit the thousand-year-old tea ordering skills, promote the innovation of plant-based milk flavors, and bring consumers a very Chinese romantic taste experience.
Source: Chengde Lulu 3, localization upgrades, to create a more suitable milk for the Chinese stomach.
Nowadays, the new generational replacement and the huge changes in the consumer market have given the brand new opportunities.
It is also particularly important for the food and beverage industry to break the inherent perception of the brand side, understand the demand preferences and action logic of consumers in different circles, and provide emotional motivation for local consumption by standing in a broader industry perspective.
In fact, unlike the Western culture of advocating vegetarianism and embracing plant-based milk, due to the differences between China's eating habits and health concepts and foreign countries, the proportion of vegetarians is low, so if plant-based milk wants to sell better in China, it also needs a more localized product innovation logic.
Sustainable health brand 21beauty joined hands with Guarrun Group to launch the first high-fiber hot drink plant-based milk in China. This product is cut into the breakfast scene of "high-fiber hot milk", and the main selling point is "21 days to nourish the intestines and protect the stomach". Different from the traditional filling products in the market, this product starts from the consumption concept that Chinese people prefer to drink "hot soybean milk and hot milk", and uses the bag dosage form to drink with hot water.
According to reports, 1 bag of the product contains 9g of "intestinal nourishment" special ingredient guar dietary fiber and 200mg of "stomach protection" special ingredient tremella polysaccharidesThe oats imported from Australia in the product use a unique compound enzymatic hydrolysis technology, which fully retains the oat essence and soluble dietary fiber and taste.
21beauty4, the sustainable "planting" into the hearts of the people, to be a conspicuous bag in the plant milk industry.
In the past, packaging was only used to store, protect and transport products, however, with the continuous development of the Internet, packaging is no longer a simple container, but has become the first point of contact between brands and consumers, and it is also an important step to establish brand awareness, which can retain consumers' attention in the shortest time.
Good packaging will not only speak, but also clearly convey the differentiated characteristics of the product, and can arouse people's happy mood and resonate with consumers. For example, when environmental protection becomes an important factor for people to buy plant-based milk, brands can find another way through packaging, which can then influence consumers' attitudes and purchase intentions towards the brand, providing new value and imagination space for subsequent brand marketing, interactive construction, and consumer experience.
Sustainable food brand Whatif Foods, a brand of Singapore-based food start-up NAMZ, has launched its first plant-based milk, Bamnut Milk, with the tagline "What if plant milk was made this way?"."Printed directly on the plant-based milk packaging.
It is reported that Bambara bean is a cowpea crop that originated in West Africa, which has rich nutritional value, strong environmental adaptability, and low requirements for the growth environment, which is a very conducive to adjusting the ecological environment and maintaining the stability of the ecosystem. According to Whatif Foods' official website, compared to soy milk, oat milk, almond milk and cow's milk, the production of Bamnut plant-based milk requires the least amount of water and land, and the production emits the least amount of greenhouse gases.
So it's not just a question for plant-based milk, it's an extension of the brand's environmental values.
Whatif Foods, the flagship sustainable food brand owned by Singaporean food start-up NAMZ, has launched its first plant-based milk, Bamnut Milk, which is made from bambara beans. The product's advertising slogan is "What if plant milk was made this way?"."It's printed directly on the plant-based milk packaging, underlining the importance of the brand's values.
Bambara bean is a cowpea crop that originated in West Africa, which not only has rich nutritional value, but also has strong environmental adaptability and low requirements for the growing environment. Therefore, the Bambara bean is considered to be a very beneficial raw material for adjusting the ecological environment and maintaining the stability of the ecosystem.
According to Whatif Foods' official website, compared to soy milk, oat milk, almond milk and cow's milk, the production of Bamnut plant-based milk requires the least amount of water and land, and the production emits the least amount of greenhouse gases. With the launch of Bamnut Milk, Whatif Foods hopes to convey an eco-friendly and sustainable lifestyle to consumers, encouraging people to pay attention to environmental issues and take positive action.
Source: Whatif Foods official website.
In the course of the business era, the ever-changing consumer demand has led to the rapid rise of many categories, giving birth to many "myths of wealth creation".
Whether it is many products from overseas or China's local Chengde Lulu plant-based milk brands, they are constantly providing opportunities for market development to upgrade and innovate. At the same time, we also see the possibility of integrating plant-based milk with more elements and more consumption scenarios, and gradually penetrate into people's daily consumption scenes.
The domestic plant-based milk industry is making great strides forward, and we might as well wait and see how brands will innovate more innovative products in the future.
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