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If it turns out that meatless burgers are everywhere, especially since the Covid-19 pandemic hit america in the spring, it’s because they are, with domestic TV campaigns, retail offerings, and fast food alliances developing.
The latest evidence: Morningstar Farms’ Lightlife and Incogmeato ads are broadcasting Real Housewives and other well-viewed Bravo series, and fierce rivals Impossible Foods and Beyond Meat make announcements, almost weekly, about their growing omnichannel footprint.
In this context, Los Angeles-based Beyond unveiled its compromised e-commerce platform on Thursday, creating a direct channel for consumers who are avoiding physical retail.
The purpose of the site is to “make our vegetable meats fit your lifestyle in the simplest way possible,” said Chuck Muth, Growth Director. “As consumer purchasing behavior has expanded to reach more grocery deliveries, now is the time to empower others and provide some other point of contact.”
Beyond, who recently presented his first television ad, the NBA Playoffs, made retail his first prevention on the road to ubiquity. So far, it has Costco, Target, Vons and Fred Meyer among its 26,000 partners. Recently signed agreements with Sam’s Club and BJ’s Warehouse will additionally integrate the logo into club stores.
Beyond’s direct-to-consumer site will offer combined packages, bundled product packages, and limited-time virtual offers, which will ship in two days in recyclable boxes. It will bring the logo closer to its buyers, provide valuable feedback and serve as a kitchen to control new plant proteins. (The burgers are very hot, although 2020 was the year of the fake sausage and the bird without a bird.)
Beyond, 2019’s IPO darling, saw its retail revenue grow 192% in the second quarter, year over year, and reported record revenues of $113 million, a 69% boost, according to Muth. The brand’s household penetration increased 40% between January and June, he said.
Beyond and the Impossible, which experienced three-digit sales spikes during the public fitness crisis, are promoting accessibility at a time when consumers are rethinking (and reducing) their meat consumption, raising environmental and fitness considerations and converting their shopping habits. Both brands are stored on Amazon and on the online sites of various spouse supermarkets.
Impossible has its own direct-to-consumer channel, stocked basically with bulk products such as 5-pound packaging and prefabricated 10-quarter-pound burgers. It was introduced in June as one of the first in the category, exceeded internal expectations and recorded “an order from each state almost immediately,” said Jessica Appelgren, vice president of communications. The logo is also sold through Instacart, Cheetah and Postmates.
The Silicon Valley-based startup, which had largely focused on sampling and pre-pandemic events, re-entered experiential marketing this week in a car wash in Los Angeles.
The trick, which attracted about 800 consumers in 10 hours, unveiled its first pack of two prefabricated empanadas, now on sale at its more than 10,000 national retailers.