Not that long ago, mainstream supermarkets and restaurants largely ignored vegans. With the recent surge in veganism, many mainstream companies are falling over themselves with vegan business ideas to cater to vegan customers.
With so many vegan consumers out there, it would be bad business to turn us all away. Money is power; as vegan consumers, we should use our power for good.
Key Takeaways
Now that veganism or a plant based lifestyle is good for business, many companies are battling for your hard-earned money. The global vegan food market was thought to be worth over 16 billion dollars in 2022 and is expected to grow by 10% each year to 2030, according to Grand View Research.
The vegan food industry includes the vegan aisle at your local health food store, your favorite vegan diner in the city, and the fast food place on the corner that offers some vegan options now.
Every time you purchase plant based food and vegan friendly products, you're voting with your money and reminding companies that vegans are worth catering for.
Why You Should Support Vegan Businesses
Long before veganism was a multi-billion dollar industry, there were small vegan food businesses run by vegans.
They might have sold vegan cheese at local markets, produced vegan skincare and cosmetics, or run the only vegan grocery store or vegan eatery in town.
These companies made and sold vegan food products because they were part of the community and wanted to fill the gap in the market, not because they saw vegan customers as walking dollar signs.
Small Vegan Companies Can’t Compete with Big Industry
These companies now need help competing against the huge multinationals flooding the vegan market. You may have noticed in recent years that many vegan companies are struggling.
Vegan cafes are shutting down, and vegan confectionary companies are going out of business, but the number of vegans is growing, so these companies should benefit from the boom. Instead, big companies are profiting.
Before, vegans had to seek out vegan treats and support the vegan company that sold them, but now, we can grab a candy bar from any shop we visit.
Whereas we previously had to hit up a vegan restaurant to eat out, we can now find plant based options in most mainstream eateries. The upshot of this is that vegan businesses are suffering.
Vegan Business Owners Care More About Their Vegan Customers
You'll know firsthand how dismal some vegan food options can be. While most mainstream eateries offer plant based foods and meat substitutes these days, they don't necessarily taste good.
One of the best things about eating at a vegan restaurant is knowing the menu has been compiled by someone with a passion for vegan food who wants to showcase the very best of what vegan food has to offer.
Whereas giant corporations are trying to convince vegans to spend money with them, they likely don’t have as great an understanding of vegan wants and needs.
Your Support Will Keep Vegan Companies in Business
Sadly, many of these plant based businesses are now struggling to survive in the competitive vegan market.
Large conglomerates can afford to charge lower prices on new vegan products for just long enough to drive small vegan businesses under.
It’s worth considering how you spend your money and trying to support as many vegan-owned businesses as possible.
Think about how much money you spend eating out each year and try to ensure you spend a chunk of it at vegan places.
Keeping Money in the Vegan Community
One of the benefits of supporting a vegan-owned business is knowing that the profits will likely be spent more ethically.
If a large conglomerate makes a profit selling vegan materials and products, that profit is likely going to wealthy shareholders who are most likely not vegan.
Supporting vegan-owned businesses is one way of keeping money within the vegan community, which can only be a good thing.
It's Ok to Mix and Match
Supporting vegan businesses doesn’t mean you have to boycott any company that is not entirely vegan. You are, of course, welcome to spend your money wherever you choose.
There is certainly an argument to be made for showing large companies that there is a growing demand for vegan products. The easier it is to find vegan products, the easier life is for new vegans, and the more likely they will stick with it.
You don’t need to avoid vegan products from mainstream stores; if you’re excited about a new vegan burger at a fast food outlet, try it. It’s not about being perfect; it’s just about doing your bit to support small vegan businesses that rely on our custom.
This is only possible for those who can afford it, but if you can, try to support vegan companies where possible.
Call in at your local vegan eatery for lunch, or order some Christmas chocolates from a vegan online shop rather than grabbing them from your local mainstream grocery store. Plan ahead so you can support vegan businesses rather than opting for the convenience of a large company.
What If You Can’t Afford to Support Vegan Businesses?
Nobody should be spending money they don’t have to support vegan businesses. If you don’t have any disposable income to spend on vegan goodies, don’t feel bad about it.
Being vegan is fantastic; you’re already doing your bit by that alone. If budget is the most important factor when you shop, focus on that and don’t waste any energy on guilt. We all do what we can.
This post is not intended to make anybody feel guilty or put pressure on anyone; it’s simply a suggestion of another way to boost the vegan community for those who can afford to.
You can support businesses by writing online reviews, interacting with their social media posts, and recommending them to friends, too; it doesn’t always have to mean spending money.
Key Takeaways and Reflections
It’s your money, and you can spend it how you want, but it would be great if more vegans made a conscious effort to support the vegan community.
It doesn’t mean every purchase you make has to come from an entirely vegan store, but try to spend some of your money with vegan-owned businesses.
If you don’t want to lose your local vegan cafe, ensure you’re a regular customer supporting their business. Now is the time to preserve our vegan businesses and protect the places that paved the way for today's vegans.
