A meat-alternative section will be placed into the meat, fish and poultry aisles at Sainsbury's in an attempt to capitalise on the vegan market.
The change will be the first time a UK supermarket has positioned a range of meat-alternatives directly alongside meat options in store.
Sainsbury's, calling the move 'industry-leading', will trial the new meat-alternative section across twenty of its stores.
The range of 26 meat-alternative products that will sit within the new section include a selection of vegetarian and vegan burgers, meat-free sausages and meat-free mince.
The retailer said it has seen an 82% increase in customers searching for vegan products online, and a 65% increase in sales of plant-based products year-on-year.
However, the move follows recent data which shows that there is 'little evidence' at present to suggest there has been a significant turn towards plant-based diets.
During the 12 weeks ending 30 December 2018, total primary meat retail sales remained steady, the latest data from Kantar Worldpanel shows. Within this, some meat categories did perform more strongly than others.
And as 'veganuary' comes to a close, farmers have called on environmentally-conscious young people to give British lamb a chance as it is one of the most healthy and sustainable meats available on the market.
