JUST Egg announces the largest expansion yet for its award-winning plant-based egg. By the end of the month, JUST Egg will be available at more than 17,000 points of retail distribution in the United States, a 40% increase and a testament to the breakout success of the pioneering product that launched nationwide last year.
Walmart will add the original 12-ounce pourable JUST Egg – perfect for scrambles, omelets, quiches, stir-fries and a variety of baking applications – to more than 1,900 stores coast-to-coast after it became a strong seller at hundreds of regional locations. About 900 Food Lion stores in the Mid-Atlantic and Southeastern U.S. and 170 Giant stores in Delaware, Maryland, Pennsylvania, Virginia and Washington, D.C. are also adding the product to their shelves.
More than 1,000 Kroger and Kroger-owned stores like Ralphs, Fred Meyer, QFC, Fry's and Mariano's will bring the recently launched folded JUST Egg to their freezer sections. Ideal on toast or inside breakfast sandwiches, folded JUST Egg will also arrive at 1,000 Albertsons and Safeway stores in Arizona, California, Colorado and Washington; Jewel-Osco stores in the Greater Chicago area; Randalls and Tom Thumb in Texas; and 160 Acme stores in Connecticut, Delaware, Maryland, New Jersey, New York and Pennsylvania.
Original JUST Egg is the fifth best-selling egg out of 88 SKUs at a leading national retailer, and its growth has surpassed numerous mainstream plant-based products in popular categories like meat and milk in conventional grocery. Folded JUST Egg is the #1 frozen breakfast item at a top-five retailer – likely the first time ever that a plant-based protein has achieved #1 in category status in a major grocery store. Folded JUST Egg is also the #1 frozen breakfast item in the natural channel according to SPINS, the leading provider of data and insights for natural, organic and specialty products.
Meanwhile, NUGGS launches SPICY NUGGS, the hottest version of their signature nugget to date. Although parent company SIMULATE has released eight updates of its namesake snack NUGGS since July, 2019, SPICY NUGGS are the first new product to be added to the brand’s roster of chicken simulations.
The new product is free from the use of animal-based products. SPICY NUGGS are made using the same formula as the bestselling NUGGS 2.0, but with a proprietary blend of spices that include ancho chili pepper, black pepper, red pepper, dehydrated red bell pepper, and paprika. After a year operating on a direct-to-consumer model, the company debuted its signature nuggets in Los Angeles chain Gelson’s and Chicago chain Foxtrot in late July and are now available in retail locations in all 50 states. SPICY NUGGS are currently available online only but are expected to be in stores this fall.
Finally, Before the Butcher is selling its entire UNCUT line of plant-based meat products direct-to-consumer from its website. Options include a 6-pack sampler ($32.49), 8-pack cookout bundle ($42.99) and 12-pack party pack ($64.39) – each with an assortment of company’s UNCUT Plant-Based Burgers, Chicken Burgers, Turkey Burgers and Sausage Patties – as well as orders of individual products. The company already has a presence in foodservice and retail.
For Before the Butcher and other plant-based meat makers, the push to expand distribution coincides with increased sales stemming in part from coronavirus-related meat shortages and health concerns. A recent survey by the International Food Information Council documents the surge of meatless meat during the pandemic, with 24% of respondents indicating they have increased their plant-based protein intake and 18% specifically citing an uptick in their plant-based meat consumption since the COVID-19 crisis began.
