In the brochures of retail chains such as Lidl, Aldi or Edeka, consumers will find new products this month that all have one thing in common: They are vegan.

The so-called Veganuary started again in January - a month of action in which everything is about plant-based nutrition.

The organization of the same name, which was founded by private individuals in Great Britain in 2014, aims to make the vegan diet palatable to German consumers.

With a campaign, campaigns and products in the trade, people are to be encouraged to forego animal products for a month.

Stefanie Diemand

Editor in business.

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The Veganuary is taking place for the third time in Germany, this year more than 200 companies are taking part in the campaign, according to the organization this is a record.

"In 2022, Veganuary will invite even more consumers to discover the benefits of a plant-based diet," said a press release.

The goals with the corporate cooperation are also formulated on the website: "We want to bring about a change by working with brands, restaurants and supermarkets."

It is doubtful that German retailers and food manufacturers are now trying to educate their customers to become vegans despite all the discussion about the low meat prices and manufacturing conditions. The herbal products are one thing above all else: good business. Because in Germany more and more people are turning to plant-based products. According to the BMEL nutrition report from last year, the proportion of vegetarians rose to 10 percent; in 2020 it was 5 percent. The proportion of vegans rose from one to two percent. So the number of people who forego meat altogether is increasing. "The demand for vegan products in society has increased significantly," explains Aldi. The discounter is participating in the Veganuary for the third time.

But it is not just the group of vegans or vegetarians who buy the substitute products made from tofu, seitan, peas or lupins, the group of so-called flexitarians is becoming increasingly important: According to the nutrition report, 30 percent of German citizens occasionally buy vegan or vegetarian meat alternatives.

Discounter Aldi knows this too, and wants to "make the vegan lifestyle easier" for its customers by expanding its range.

And that "not only for those who want to eat purely plant-based, but also for so-called flexitarians who reduce their meat consumption in everyday life".

The boys are being fought for

One group in particular may be of interest to retailers and companies: According to the nutritional report, almost half of the 14 to 29-year-old respondents regularly consume alternative plant products. And this customer group is particularly popular among companies: Because anyone who is still going to school or is currently studying will sooner or later run their own household, earn more money and then become a regular customer of a retail chain or a fan of a product, according to the calculation of the Company.

However, the favor of teenagers and young people has to be fought hard, which is particularly evident in the food retail sector. According to an earlier study, young people between the ages of 13 and 20 prefer shopping in traditional supermarkets such as Rewe or Edeka. For several years now, the discounters have been trying to get young buyers excited about themselves with targeted campaigns such as hip advertising campaigns, influencer marketing or more organic products. A vegan or vegetarian range, which a few years ago was mainly available in organic or supermarkets, should also be well received by young customers.

So when Lidl announces as part of the Veganuary that there are now new plant-based cold cuts, or the Oetker Group brings new vegetable pizzas onto the market, then it is probably hoped that the youngsters will grab it - and preferably not just once.

The same can be seen in the advertising for the Veganuary, because there the companies mainly use the channels that teenagers and young adults hang around in: Discounter Lidl is trying a podcast that is entirely devoted to vegan nutrition.

This is called "There is vegan, baby".

In January, Lidl invited the head of Veganuary Germany to an interview.

One of the discounter's Facebook groups is all about vegan nutrition.

Advertising, bloggers, influencers

The drugstore dm, on the other hand, advertises on the company's own accounts in relevant social media such as Instagram for the month of action. The company has signed one of the biggest vegan food bloggers, Bianca Zapatka, as its face in advertising. Together with the drugstore, Zapatka developed extra products for the Veganuary. Zapatka has more than 700,000 subscribers on her Instagram channel alone. "We at dm have noticed that the Veganuary has been very well received by our customers in recent years," says Kerstin Erbe, who is responsible for the product range at dm. Dm is one of the companies in Germany that relied on organic products as well as vegetarian and vegan alternatives very early on.

And Aldi?

The discounter also relies on influencers, such as a cook who shows recipes on the YouTube video platform.

But it also proves that vegan and vegetarian alternatives are not only intended to appeal to the young: The discounter is also advertising this year in a very traditional way in the flyer for the month of action.

This then reaches even those who have never tried a vegan steak.