In California, Beyond Meat announced that the Beyond Burger will be available in the meat section of Safeway grocery stores, beginning Memorial Day weekend in the Northern California division. The Beyond Burger will be rolled out in Safeway grocery stores throughout Northern California, Northern Nevada and Hawaii.
Beyond Meat’s CEO Ethan Brown said, “Early research indicates that 70 percent of Beyond Burger consumers are meat-eaters seeking to incorporate more plant-based foods into their diet.”
Safeway’s distribution of the Beyond Burger aligns with the shift in consumer preferences reported in a recent NPD Group study that showed more than 67 percent of meat eaters are substituting a non-animal protein in a meal at least once a week and 22 percent saying they are doing it more often than a year ago. With the expanded availability at Safeway, the Beyond Burger will now be available at more than 650 grocery stores nationwide.