Beyond Meat to expand chicken tender substitute to over 8,000 retailers

April 12 (UPI) -- Beyond Meat will bring its meatless chicken tenders to more than 8,000 pharmacies, grocery retailers and club stores across the United States, the plant-based meat company announced Tuesday.

Shoppers nationwide can now pick up the pre-cooked Beyond Chicken Tenders at select Whole Foods Market, Sprouts, CVS and Albertsons stores.

The products are also expanding to all Kroger locations throughout April.

Beyond Meat, which first launched its chicken tender products last July in restaurants before being sold in grocery stores in October, has dealt with weak retail sales over the past several quarters.

Profits boomed earlier in the pandemic, when fewer people went to restaurants. The shift had boosted consumer's demand for beef and sausage alternatives.

However, shoppers' habits have shifted, and Beyond Meat's U.S. grocery sales reportedly dropped 20% to around $50 million by 2021's fourth quarter.

In July of 2021, Beyond Meat introduced its breaded substitute chicken tenders to more than 400 restaurants nationwide.

Also last year, the company began partnering with fast-food chains in launching new products.

KFC and Beyond Meat teamed up in January to offer plant-based Beyond Fried Chicken.