Supermarket Credits Vegan Mince Pies for Sales Surge

British supermarket Asda credited its vegan mince pies for an increase in sales during its Christmas quarter. During the final three months of 2017, Asda’s sales rose by 0.5 percent when compared to the same period in 2016. Made with raisins, festive spices, and shortbread crust, the plant-based alternative to the traditional British treat debuted at Asda in December and was available in a pack of six frozen pies for $1.20 during the holiday season. According to Asda chief executive Roger Burnley, the new product appealed to customers due to its taste, value, and vegan-friendliness. “[It] helped attract over 348,000 new customers to our stores in December and meant we were the only one of the big four [supermarkets] to retain our market share,” Burnley said. Last year, UK-based supermarket Sainsbury credited its 300-percent sales spike to its new line of vegan cheese.