More than half (53%) of UK shoppers who stopped drinking plant-based drinks in the past year would be likely to return to the category, according to new research from Oddlygood Group.
The study of 2,000 consumers found that lapsed users, many of them younger shoppers under 35, remain broadly positive about plant-based drinks, with 62% holding a favourable view.
The data showed that clearer and accredited health information was highlighted as the number one factor that would encourage them back (28%), followed by taste (26%) and price (26%).
The plant-based food and drink manufacturer said the findings reveal a “huge opportunity” to reignite growth in a market that has slipped 0.8% in value in the past 12 months.
Subscribe to Marketing Beat for free
Sign up here to get the latest agency-related news sent straight to your inbox each morning
Most significantly, coconut drinks emerged as the strongest entry point for non-users, with 13% saying it would be their first choice variant, suggesting a growth area already being tapped by rivals such as Rude Health, whose Organic Coconut Drink has become its bestselling SKU.
For plant-based gurts and desserts, the business said perceptions of quality remain the biggest barrier, with over a fifth of lapsed consumers said they felt they were paying more for an inferior product, while 21% complained they tasted artificial and 22% found them bland.
The news follows the plant-based sector facing a wane in consumer demand in recent years, with many popular brands falling into financial difficulty as sales slow.
Oddlygood Group CEO Niko Vuorenmaa said: “One of the biggest growth opportunities for plant-based drinks, gurts and desserts lies with the many consumers who don’t yet choose them – and those who have recently lapsed. To unlock this, we need to understand what holds them back and what will inspire them to try again.
“Real growth won’t come from preaching to the converted, but from engaging the consumers outside the category – this report is about exploring how we as one of Europe’s largest plant-based challengers can do this and how the category needs to evolve.’’
Oddlygood said it would continue to build on these insights to shape its innovation pipeline. In 2024, it acquired drinks brand Rude Health, which saw it since grow 22.2%, significantly outpacing the wider category.
