As consumers want to live a healthier and more sustainable lifestyle, they are looking for products that can help them do just that.
Recent Roy Morgan research shows that nearly 2.5 million Australians have either completely moved to a vegetarian diet or are close to doing so. Additionally, industry experts project that the meat-free sector will exceed $25 billion by 2030.
This year, shoppers have heavily given their nod to healthier, plant-based products, with eight out of 29 Product of the Year (POY) Awards winners sitting amongst the ‘vegetarian/vegan’ and ‘health food’ categories.
“This is the first time in our Product of the Year Awards history that we’ve had this many meat-alternative and vegan products participate and successfully win an award, especially from surprising new brands such as 7-11 and V2 foods,” Product of the Year director, Sarah Connelly, says.
“This year we are also seeing our first ever alcohol-free alternatives category, with Lyre’s taking out the top spot for their non-alcohol spirits range.”
Also, Covid-19 has made consumers become more risk averse and have been seeking products and services that deliver value, quality and peace of mind, according to POY Awards Nielsen research, while also trying new products and brands.
“Covid-19 definitely impacted all areas of our lives, with shopping experiences taking a massive hit in the early stages of the pandemic, but we have been truly impressed to see the way brands have adapted and expanded their offerings to give consumers more options across a wide range of categories to suit all tastes and lifestyles.”
Pharmacy and skincare products also did really well, taking out eight of the 29 awards on offer across the beauty, oral care and skincare categories including hand wash, gel cleanser and night cream.
“We are very honoured to be able to showcase these winners for 2021 and continue to partner with smaller businesses across Australia to offer a platform to promote their brands during these uncertain times,” adds Connelly.
