Beyond Meat gets an edge in China as its meatless burgers become first in grocery stores
- Hema stores began selling Beyond Meat burgers on Saturday
- Fledgling meatless industry in China has been limited to fast food restaurants, e-commerce sites
Beyond Meat burger patties hit shelves at Alibaba’s Hema supermarket chain in Shanghai on Saturday, marking the first time a plant-based meat is being sold in a grocery store in China, and coming at a time of lingering worries about traditional meat.
The Nasdaq-listed food giant’s meat patties, which can be grilled to make burgers or, in a more traditional Chinese way, be rolled to make dumpling stuffing, debuted in all 50 Hema stores – known as Fresh Hippo stores – in Shanghai. It can also be order on Hema’s App.
“We know that retail will be a critical part of our success in China, and we're pleased to mark this early milestone within a few months of our market entry,” Ethan Brown, chief executive officer of Beyond Meat, said in a statement. “Expanding into retail is the natural next step in building our market presence.”
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