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Beyond Meat launches store on Pinduoduo e-commerce platform as China’s appetite for plant-based protein soars
- The American firm increases its online sales presence, continuing its expansion into the rapidly growing Chinese market for plant-based proteins
- The Californian company may soon face stiffer competition as Beijing signals its intent to support the growth of the domestic plant-based food sector
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Beyond Meat has clinched a partnership with Chinese e-commerce giant Pinduoduo, in its latest marketing push after earlier tie-ups with JD.com and Tmall to tap growing consumer demand for plant-based protein in China.
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In a statement released on Thursday, the US-based vegan meat company announced the launch of an online store on Pinduoduo, a grocery platform known for its competitive pricing, where signature products such as Beyond Beef and Beyond Pork will be sold.
It is the first global plant-based brand to launch a store on Pinduoduo, as it continues its expansion into the rapidly growing Chinese market for vegan food. The sector is forecast to be worth US$12 billion by 2023, according to a report by Euromonitor International.
Beyond Meat launched its store on JD.com’s e-commerce platform in July. A year before that, it began selling in Alibaba’s Hema supermarket chain in Shanghai, marking the first time a plant-based meat had been sold in a grocery store in China.
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The company’s ambitions in China are also reflected in a new research and development centre set to open soon in Shanghai. It follows the set-up of a production plant in nearby Jiaxing – the company’s first end-to-end manufacturing facility outside the US.
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The Californian company may soon find itself facing stiffer competition in mainland China. There are signs Beijing is intent on supporting the growth of the domestic plant-based food sector, following a speech by President Xi Jinping’s at a high-profile public meeting with national political advisers in early March.
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