Sales of oat milk in the United States rocketed up by 476.7% in a single week amid the coronavirus crisis.
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According to new data released by market research firm Nielsen, sales of oat milk in the United States rocketed up by 476.7 percent during the week-long period ending March 14 compared to the same time period in the previous year.
Oat milk sales also increased by 347.3 percent during the week-long period ending on March 7 compared to data from 2019 with more shoppers seeking out shelf-stable products.
Popular oat milk brand Oatly has taken to Instagram to urge the public not to stockpile products, saying: “We would just like to remind everyone that buying every single last carton of oat milk that you find at your local shop or online retailer is not a very cool move. And to be honest, it’s totally unnecessary.
“Our focus and top priority right now is to ensure that no matter what happens, the oat milk keeps flowing, which means shelves will be refilled with speed and accuracy, which in turn will allow you to demonstrate all of your consideration skills, ultimately resulting in a few cartons of oat milk for all.”
Fastest-growing plant-milk
Whilst sales of oat milk may have soared in recent weeks, the dairy-free milk alternative has been rapidly increasing in popularity with consumers in recent years and is the fastest-growing plant-based milk product in the dairy-free products category.
In 2019, sales of oat milk grew by 686 percent, and have increased more than 1,946 percent over the last two years according to data released by the Good Food Institute and market research firm SPINS.
“Shifting consumer values have created a favorable market for plant-based foods, which have significantly outpaced overall grocery sales increases for three years running, making plant-based foods a growth engine for both manufacturers and retailers,” Caroline Bushnell, GFI Associate Director of Corporate Engagement, said.
“This is really only the beginning: plant-based foods will continue to expand rapidly across the store in response to demand as consumers increasingly switch to foods that match their changing values and desire for more sustainable options. We expect further acceleration in 2020.”
Plant-based meats
Consumers are making drastic changes to their shopping habits amid the coronavirus crisis with many shoppers stockpiling groceries leaving supermarket shelves empty.
In the US, consumers have been increasingly opting to purchase plant-based meat alternatives over animal meat with a report by market data company Nielsen revealing that sales of vegan meats soared by 279.8 percent before March 14 compared to the previous year.
