Delhaize Belgium has seen a 15% increase in the sales of vegetarian products over the past two years, which it says was the 'strongest growth ever' for the category in its stores.
The data, which shows the increase in demand for vegetarian products across Delhaize stores, was released on 1 October to mark World Vegetarian Day.
Currently, the retailer offers around 115 vegetarian products, excluding vegetarian alternatives from its processed meats department.
Delhaize added that the vegetarian range is no longer the niche it was ten years ago, as many flexitarians in the country also opt for these products.
Product Reformulation
Delhaize has reformulated part of its vegetarian range from own-brand products to feature a Nutri-Score A or B label.
The initiative aligns with its the company's aim to offer customers more balanced diets.
Out of the 115 vegetarian SKUs in the 'meat' category, 48 are products of the Delhaize brand.
The retailer has reduced the salt and/or fat content in some products to achieve a better Nutri-Score ranking.
Delhaize reformulates 150 products every year to improve their Nutri-Score and thus offer customers more balanced alternatives.
Health And Nutrition Commitments
According to a recent study by Sciensano – the Belgian Institute of Health – Delhaize ranks best among supermarkets in Belgium in terms of health and nutrition commitments.
Helping customers make healthier food choices is at the core of Delhaize's strategy and the efforts have paid off, the retailer noted.
The company attributed its success to the integration of Nutri-Score into its products and said it would step up efforts in the fight against obesity and help people make better food choices.
In September, Delhaize Belgium and Unbox joined forces to launch the Healthy Membership Program for companies, which seeks to encourage people to adopt a balanced diet.
