Now There’s Even More Frozen Vegan at Walmart. Here’s Where to Find It

About 62 percent of shoppers leave the grocery store with plant-based products in their carts. American consumers are searching for healthier, more sustainable options for affordable costs, and now, Tattooed Chef is striking a deal with Walmart that will make vegan meals better for your budget and easier to find, nationwide.

This week, Tattooed Chef announced that eight new products will roll out at approximately 2,000 Walmart stores nationwide. The partnership will more than double the company's retail presence, bringing its products up from five to 13 at 1,700 more stores than before the deal. The company's frozen bowls, stir-fries, plant-based burgers, and dairy-free pizzas will become available to hundreds of shoppers across the United States.

Coinciding with the launch, Tattooed Chef just signed a deal with the Desert Premium Group to improve production capabilities. The company signed a lease on an 80,000-square-foot manufacturing facility that will help the company expand its distribution capabilities.

Tattooed Chef Stocks Spike

Tattooed Chef's stock shares spiked 16 percent on Tuesday when the company announced the expanded distribution deal with Walmart. The company's experience a slow decline since opening on NASDAQ in 2020. Now, stock prices have climbed to approximately $7.59 a share. Earlier this August, the company's stock prices fell 10 percent to below $4.

Over the last year, Tattooed Chef has expanded its product selection and retail presence in an effort to bulk its stock value. In the summer of 2021, the company released 12 products at 1,800 Kroger stores in the United States. The options included Veggie Hemp Bowl, Gochujan Chow Mein, and the company's famous Plant-Based 2 Cheese Pizza.

This Fall, Tattooed Chef is planning to release a new pizza product to celebrate National Pizza Month this October. The Killer Bee Wood Fired Pizza features a wood-fired crust topped with vegan mozzarella, plant-based soppressata, chili agave, and a signature tomato sauce. The company first unveiled the pizza at the BET Awards and Lollapalooza.

“We are committed to bringing brand new concepts for delicious plant-based meals to the marketplace, made with quality ingredients and simple to prepare,” Tattooed Chef CEO Salvatore "Sam" Galletti said last year. “Our continued innovation is transforming the frozen aisle and we’re just getting started.”

Vegan Comfort Food is a Trend to Watch

Tattooed Chef provides healthier, plant-based versions of classic comfort foods that shoppers would otherwise have trouble letting go with a vegan diet. More than ever, shoppers want more sustainable versions of their favorite foods, and Kroger took note of this trend earlier this year.

In January, Kroger released a report that showed that 77 percent of shoppers purchased plant-based products in the last six months of 2021. The grocery chain's 2022 Food Trends Report listed that the demand for vegan comfort food is spiking,

“Last year, even as many Americans returned to work and eased back into social gatherings, it became apparent that new habits were formed in 2020 and that they are here to stay – including cooking more at home,” Kroger’s senior vice president, chief merchant, and marketing officer  Stuart Aitken said. “Customers are enjoying the convenience, affordability, and just plain fun that comes from preparing meals at home.

“Plant-based is the grocery category to watch right now as brands continue to innovate by using new ingredients and processes that make plant-based products exciting for shoppers,” Senior Global Category Merchant for Plant-Based at Whole Foods Parker Brody said in May. “And in laid-back days of summer, we find that customers are breaking out of their routines and are more open to trying something new, whether they’re longtime vegans or just starting to experiment with plant-based eating.

Other than Walmart, Tattooed Chef's plant-based comfort food and frozen meals can be found at Krogers, Targets, Whole Foods, and more retailers nationwide.

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