Starbucks in China partnered with Omnipork, Oatly and Beyond Beef (all companies producing vegan dairy and meat alternatives) to create a plant-based menu. Launched at the end of April, the GOOD GOOD menu is now available at all 3,000+ locations in China. Menu items include Oatly vegan oat milk lattes, Beyond Beef pesto pasta, and Omnipork noodle salad.
The biggest coffee chain bringing this menu to the biggest market? A potentially huge impact and a powerful signal of what’s to come. It shows there are trends that will not only endure the pandemic, but likely speed up as a result — and that includes the plant-based movement. As it did pre-COVID, this shift still taps into consumers’ environmental concerns. But diners who embrace vegan alternatives are also avoiding the viruses in factory-farmed meat. And we don’t need to tell you that anxiety about viruses is at a high!
As your organization ponders the post-pandemic future, make some predictions. Which other pre-COVID trends are going to become even stronger? Check out our analysis in After the Virus if you’re not sure where to start.
And once you’ve done that, take note of how Starbucks — rather than cracking the plant-based equation on its own — partnered with relatively new businesses for its menu. Which fresh, innovative companies are on the tip of the trend iceberg? Are there emerging brands you could partner with to leap on a trend?
Stay healthy,
The TrendWatching content team
