Austrian supermarket chain Billa has launched a new store concept, Billa Pflanzilla, which focuses only on plant-based products, and boasts more than 2,500 SKUs.
The move comes as the popularity of plant-based foods continues to rise in Austria, the retailer noted.
Demand For Plant-Based Products
A recent survey commissioned by Billa, which is a subsidiary of the REWE Group, unveiled that 46% of Austrians have consciously reduced their consumption of animal products, including meat, in recent years.
In addition, 28% of 18- to 29-year-olds no longer eat meat.
With this knowledge, Billa decided to develop a new concept store in Vienna, leading to the creation of Billa Pflanzilla. Offering a purely plant-based assortment, it claims to be the first of its kind in Austria.
CEO of REWE International AG, Marcel Haraszti, said, "With Billa Pflanzilla, we have succeeded in realising a unique project. We are already very much looking forward to the first customers and are convinced that we are meeting an important need with this new concept and at the same time making a contribution to more conscious, sustainable consumption.
"In addition, we are offering innovative start-ups and producers who are committed to purely plant-based products a valuable stage and are looking forward to a number of exciting collaborations. Together, we can tap the huge potential of pure plant-based foods – benefiting not only our customers, but also our environment."
Billa Pflanzilla Store
The store area consists of over 200 square metres, with space for more than 2,500 purely plant-based SKUs and new service offers.
The store is located at Mariahilfer Strasse 38-48, in the area of a store already owned by the retailer.
Specially-trained staff are on hand to help customers with any questions they may have about the product range.
Elke Wilgmann, consumer director of Billa, stated, "It is important to us that a visit to Billa Pflanzilla is the best choice for plant-based nutrition in every situation [...]. Our customers can shop in a relaxed way – without having to spend time searching for purely plant-based products and checking the labels."
© 2022 European Supermarket Magazine – your source for the latest retail news. Article by Conor Farrelly. Click subscribe to sign up to ESM: European Supermarket Magazine.