SINGAPORE, Aug. 24, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- abillion, the Singapore-based tech company that is building the world's largest online community of conscious consumers, has published a report, with support from Enterprise Singapore, titled, Singapore Food Culture: The Road Ahead is Plant-Based.
This study is based on data collected through abillion from Sep 2017 to June 2021. The data was contributed by over 2,000 Singapore members, who collectively posted 46,000 dish reviews, at 4,000 restaurants, and 13,000 product reviews. To read the whole report, please use this link: https://www.data.abillion.com/post/singapore-food-culture-the-road-ahead-is-plant-based.
In the last few years, abillion has witnessed more Singapore restaurants join the plant-based movement. This report found that an increasing number of local restaurants are adding plant-based dishes to their menus. The number of restaurants on the abillion app is now more than 5 times its 2017 level, with this explosive growth driven both by new restaurants opening as well as existing restaurants incorporating vegan items.
Of the different kinds of eateries in Singapore, cafes and bistros offer the widest range of plant-based dishes. The growth in vegan options at cafes and bistros seem to be in tandem with the proliferation of the flexitarian lifestyle in Singapore. abillion had previously highlighted that flexitarians were the fastest growing consumer segment in Singapore.
Maria Tan, lead Data Scientist behind this report, comments, "It's exciting to witness Singapore's food culture pivoting towards a healthier, more sustainable future. Our key finding that cafes and bistros are leading the way is telling of what young Singapore consumers want. Our dataset is primarily driven by Gen-Z and Millennial consumers, which means that our insights are truly forward-looking."
In the previous report published in April this year, abillion found that interest in conscious consumption in Singapore doubled in the past year. As eating out (or ordering in) continues to play a large part of Singapore's food culture—in 2020, total local F&B sales amounted to S$7.8 billion—it is no surprise that rising environmental consciousness has influenced the F&B sector. Transitioning to vegan-friendly menus offers potential business rewards for local F&B players.
But there is still vast room for improvement. While Asian restaurants are the most popular among local diners, most serve far fewer plant-based options than Western counterparts. And, while some forward-looking F&B players have started to serve innovative Asian plant-based dishes, this is a small handful, and given the growing demand, this is a market opportunity waiting to be tapped.
"We see a growth in conscious consumers who seek out sustainable or healthier foods including plant-based varieties. This has in turn spurred local food companies to develop products to respond to such trends. It's encouraging to see innovation across the ecosystem of players. Manufacturers are collaborating with F&B establishments to develop dishes using plant-based products such as dumplings, satays and paus, which are suited to the Asian palate. As more of these are included in F&B menus, consumers will have more opportunities to experience plant-based products and include them in their regular meals," says Bernice Tay, Director of Food Manufacturing, Enterprise Singapore
Thanks to member reviews and posts on its platform, abillion has the world's most valuable data set on consumer sentiment and sustainability. The data science team regularly publishes its findings, ranging from country reports to deep dives into specific retail or F&B topics. To see all the reports, visit http://data.abillion.com.
CEO and abillion founder, Vikas Garg, says, "Our goal is to forge a society in which all decisions are guided by a sense of social responsibility. To get there, we need to repurpose data for social good, and encourage businesses to take bold steps towards a more sustainable and reputable future."
This investigative report has been supported by Enterprise Singapore and is the second of two deep dives into plant-based consumer trends in Singapore. The first can be found here: Surfing the Plant-Based Wave in Singapore.
For images of abillion in use and a portrait of CEO & Founder Vikas Garg, here.
About abillion
At abillion, we're working to drive a global movement for plant-based food and earth-friendly products. abillion is a digital platform that assists people that want to make sustainable choices. Using the abillion app, members can discover vegan food and vegan and cruelty-free products. abillion, launched in 2018 by CEO Vikas Garg, is unique in harnessing social media for social good. Whenever a member chooses sustainability and shares a review, the member is rewarded with a donation that can feed a hungry child, educate a child for a day, plant a tree or save an animal life.
The abillion app has been downloaded by nearly one million people around the world and through its giving program, the company has donated US $750,000 to life-saving causes around the world. abillion members from over 140 countries have contributed more than 850,000 reviews of vegan dishes and vegan and cruelty-free products. Consumer reviews, along with consumer insights, are shared with business owners, influencing more than 100,000 brands worldwide to offer more sustainable options.
Website: www.abillion.com
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