Impossible Foods May Be Planning To Sell Directly To Consumers

A recent Twitter post from Impossible Foods seems to indicate that the company may be planning to sell its plant-based meat products directly to consumers. A previous press release announcing its collaboration with Cheetah implied a similar plan. The coronavirus outbreak has encouraged multiple businesses to explore direct-to-consumer sales.

In a tweet posted on its official Twitter account today, Impossible Foods appeared to confirm that it is planning to deliver its products directly to consumers. On May 31, the company wrote, “Ask and you shall receive, friend! Coming soon.” This was a response to a comment asking about delivering its plant-based meat alternatives.

Previously on Twitter, Impossible Foods posted a comment with a series of emojis that showed a burger and cardboard box next to an arrow with soon written under it and a door. In the following tweet, the company encouraged its followers to join its mailing list, so they would not miss announcements about home delivery. The company also indicated it has plans to expand to Europe in the future.

In April, Impossible Foods announced its collaboration with Cheetah in a press release that also mentioned direct delivery to consumers. Cheetah offers contactless pickup and delivery services to consumers and businesses. Through its partnership with Impossible Foods, consumers can get third-pound Impossible Burger patties as a bulk purchase.

“The Cheetah campaign is the first of its kind for Impossible Foods, which is also selling its product directly to consumers through restaurants and a growing number of grocery stores. Impossible Foods is also testing direct-to-consumer demand, but the company is not providing additional details at this time,” according to the press release.

Impossible Foods started by selling its products in restaurants and later added grocery stores. Moving to direct-to-consumer sales is the next step, and changes in consumer behavior may be the push that the company needs to make the transition. During the coronavirus outbreak, sales of plant-based foods have increased as meat factories shut down and prices skyrocketed. Nielsen’s data shows that sales of plant-based meat went up 264%.

Impossible Foods is not the only company that has decided to sell directly to consumers during this crisis. PepsiCo
PEP
launched two new websites to sell food and beverages to consumers by cutting out the grocery stores and shipping items to the customers’ doors. As more consumers realize the convenience of online grocery shopping and increase demand for the service, other companies will join the trend.