Beyond Meat case study

Beyond Meat faced declining sales rotation of their Chicken Style products. Both consumers and retailers were losing interest, which created a risk that retailers might delist the products entirely. The company needed to understand whether a packaging upgrade could help defend sales and restore consumer attention.

The stakes were high: successfully revitalizing the products would not only prevent further decline in sales and shelf space, but also strengthen Beyond Meat’s position in the competitive plant-based category. For Beyond Meat, solving this challenge meant protecting market share, maintaining retail listings, and convincing consumers and retailers that their Chicken Style products were still relevant.

Bamboo Brands designed a real-life supermarket test to measure the impact of Beyond Meat’s new packaging. We placed the redesigned Chicken Style products with a cardboard sleeve in 20 Albert Heijn supermarkets and tracked sales rotation against the previous plastic packaging. This allowed Beyond Meat to see the true effect of the packaging change on purchasing behavior.

To understand the why behind the numbers, we conducted in-store shopper interviews with 62 meat substitute buyers, capturing triggers and barriers for choosing Beyond Meat or competitors. Finally, to connect in-store expectations with actual product experience, we carried out an in-home user test (IHUT) with 117 consumers, who evaluated taste, texture, and usability.

By combining sales data, shopper insights, and in-home feedback, Bamboo Brands provided Beyond Meat with a clear picture of whether the new packaging could defend sales and restore relevance — and with actionable insights to guide future decisions.

The in-store test revealed the real impact of the new cardboard sleeve on sales, showing Beyond Meat exactly how the packaging change influenced consumer behavior. Shopper interviews uncovered the key triggers and barriers in the meat substitute category, while the in-home user test confirmed how consumers experienced the products after purchase.

As a result, Beyond Meat gained a clear, data-driven understanding of whether the packaging upgrade could defend sales and secure shelf space. The research not only quantified the effect of the packaging change but also explained why consumers did or did not choose Beyond Meat — insights that helped the brand make confident, evidence-based decisions to revitalize their Chicken Style products and strengthen their retail position.