You Can Now Buy Beyond Meat at 7,000 CVS Locations Nationwide

Beyond Meat is seeking to make it even easier for shoppers to find its plant-based meat alternatives, rolling out its meatless burgers and meatballs at CVS pharmacies nationwide. The food tech company partnered with CVS to put burgers across 7,000 stores and meatballs across 5,000 stores in the US. The new distribution deal will make the plant-based product more accessible to consumers across the United States in an attempt to respond to rapidly rising demand.

“The addition of the Beyond Burger and Beyond Meatballs at CVS aligns with CVS’ larger effort to help its millions of customers make healthier choices by providing convenient access to a variety of food items and nutritional options to meet specific dietary needs,” Beyond Meat shared in a statement.

The company’s expansion comes alongside the spiking demand for vegan meat products across the world. Plant-based eating continues to rise, leading to the ever-growing presence of meat alternative companies. A report from SPINS in April found that the plant-based meat market is valued at $1.4 billion following a 45 percent dollars sales surge in 2020. As the fastest growing sector in the plant-based market, plant-based meat alternatives are becoming more commonplace among retailers and restaurants.

The drugstore chain is the latest of a long list of companies to start offering Beyond Meat products. Beyond Meat closed a deal with McDonald’s corporation that will situate the plant-based company as the preferred supplier of the McPlant patty. Other than McDonald’s, Beyond Meat partnered with Yum! Brands in order to incorporate its plant-based protein on menus at KFC, Taco Bell, and Pizza Hut.

“We’re excited about the long-term potential plant-based protein menu items to have to attract more customers to our brands, especially younger consumers,” Yum! Brands CEO Chris Turner said.

Beyond Meat’s inclusion on fast-food menus and on CVS shelves will help bring meat alternatives to food deserts around the United States. With a rising number of US citizens facing food insecurity due to the pandemic, stocking Beyond meat products could improve the accessibility of plant-based alternatives for much of the nation.

“CVS is ubiquitous in neighborhoods and communities across America, and Beyond Meat is proud to partner with them as our first pharmacy partner to bring increased choice and access to nutritious food options to their consumers,” a Beyond Meat spokesperson told Insider. “The addition of the Beyond Burger and Beyond Meatballs at CVS aligns with CVS’s larger effort to help its millions of customers make healthier choices.”

The pharmacy sells more groceries than Trader Joe’s and Whole Foods, especially in low-income areas. The store will make it easier for areas facing food and financial insecurity to purchase plant-based protein. The increased consumer demand for alternative proteins pushed for the pharmacies to stock shelves with Beyond products, and shoppers will be able to find its products nearly anywhere in the country.