ALTERNATIVES to meat and dairy foodstuffs failed to grow their market share in January, despite the widely publicised 'veganuary' campaign.

According to the latest market research, meat was bought weekly by 87% of British households in the first three weeks of January, while meat-free alternatives made it into just 9% of homes.

Researchers Kantar noted that retail volumes of meat-free products did actually rise by 15% last month compared to January 2021 – but that growth was from such a low base that it was not enough to significantly impact its market share, which has remained at 2% for the last three years.

The same study found that dairy products were bought weekly by 95% of households during January, while the volume of dairy alternatives bought in-store dropped by 5%, leaving its share of the market fixed at 6%.

Analysts at AHDB are now predicting that, as inflation squeezes shoppers’ budgets, there will be a deceleration of growth for these meat and dairy alternatives, as they tend to be more expensive.

AHDB retail insight manager Grace Randall said: “Shoppers are less likely to risk trying new products when money is tight, favouring products that are familiar and cheaper. In 2021, the average retail price of cow’s milk was 61 pence per litre compared to alternative milks which, on average, were twice as expensive at £1.21 per litre.”

In January, red meat retail sales hit £660 million, with meat, fish and poultry sales up on pre-pandemic levels, rising 2% on the first three weeks of January 2020, while dairy rose 4.2%. However, a return to the eating-out market led to a decline in sales year-on-year this January.

Read more: M&S looks to increase meat sales as beef price plummets

According to a new article by AHDB’s Consumer and Retail Insight team, alternative products are not being chosen at the expense of red meat sales. In January 2021, 62%of shopping baskets containing a meat-free product also contained meat – suggesting either shoppers are incorporating alternatives into their repertoire or have varied diets within their homes.

Ms Randall said: “It’s not a surprise to see a rise in the amount of meat alternatives sold during January, but it’s important to remember that it’s from a small base and while 9% of households buy meat-free weekly in January, that figure drops to around 6% for the remainder of the year.

“The majority of the British population continues to enjoy red meat and dairy products each month of the year. But it’s important that industry continues to remind shoppers of the role red meat and dairy can play in a healthy, balanced and sustainable diet.”