The high street health food chain Holland & Barrett is to open vegan stores as part of a plan to cash in on the increasing number of people who shun all meat and animal products.
The chain also aims to take on the Body Shop with a major expansion into cruelty-free beauty. Peter Aldis, the chief executive, said he plans to test two vegan-only stores. They will sell about 1,000 products, including beauty products and foods such as vegan ice cream and sports nutrition powders.
With demand on the rise, H&B is seeking to stock 500 more vegan foods this year.
Aldis said: “We don’t want to feel like a place for alternative hippies. We want vegan to become more mainstream and there are lots of very good reasons why it will.”
The number of vegans in the UK, who avoid all animal products including dairy and eggs, has grown fourfold in the past 10 years to about 550,000, according to the Vegan Society. Flexitarianism – where people increasingly choose vegetarian and vegan options, but stop short of completely quitting meat and dairy produce – is also on the increase.
Supermarkets have been quick to supply an increasing range of vegan foods, from “bleeding” burgers to dairy-free ice cream while Waitrose has introduced vegan sections in dozens of stores.
For more read the full of article at The Guardian
