A new study by Oddlygood Group shows encouraging signs for the plant-based drinks market in the UK. According to the research, 53% of consumers who stopped drinking plant-based milk alternatives in the last year are open to returning to the category. The survey, conducted on a sample of 2.000 people, divided participants into three groups: regular consumers, former consumers, and non-consumers. Among the "lapsed users," almost half (49%) are under 35, a group that continues to show confidence in the health benefits of plant-based drinks.
Sixty-two percent of those who have abandoned plant-based milk alternatives still maintain a positive attitude toward the category. Among the factors that could encourage a return, the most cited is the availability of clear and certified health information, followed by taste and price. Even occasional consumers require guarantees on natural ingredients, while non-users state that the main factor for trying plant-based drinks remains taste, followed by price.
Surprisingly, non-consumers are more likely to try coconut milk than oat milk, despite the latter being more popular. Oddlygood, which owns the Rude Health brand, confirms this trend: Organic Coconut Drink is now the best-selling product in the range. Critical concerns, however, emerge with regard to plant-based yogurt and desserts. Twenty-two percent of former consumers perceive the price to be too high for inferior products, 21% consider them artificial, and another 22% consider them too tasteless. According to Niko Vuorenmaa, CEO of Oddlygood Group, the sector's growth potential depends on the ability to recapture those who have quit and convince those who have never tried. "True expansion won't come by preaching to the converted, but by engaging those who currently remain outside the category," he stated.
