Exploring an alternative lifestyle in Europe’s vegan mecca

Veganz: The world’s first vegan supermarket and Avesu: A store for vegan shoes and accessories

Veganism in Europe is growing bigger and bigger. The spreading community can be seen from Veganz, the first vegan supermarket in Europe. Currently, it has five chains in Europe: three located in Berlin, one in Vienna, and another in Prague. At first glance, Veganz may look like your average supermarket. But with a closer look, you will find that all the products are 100 percent vegan, such as vegan meat, frozen foods, coconut milk-based desserts, cosmetics, and even dog food. Veganz is also a production brand. Currently, Veganz is focusing on developing and selling their brand products, over 150 different superfoods, sweets, and snacks. “Veganz products are available in supermarkets around Europe,” said Fabian Steinecke, the public relations manager of Veganz. “The boom in veganism is apparent with all the media rage. The initial focus was mainly on the political statement, but more and more people are now choosing veganism for the appeals of the lifestyle itself, such as its health benefits.” Steinecke further explained the growing vegan community in Europe. “In Europe I can’t tell for sure, but it’s definitely growing,” he said. “There are about 8 million vegetarians, which is about 10 percent of the German population, and the number of vegans is between 800 thousand and a million. There are about 20 new vegans every day in Europe, and the number is growing every year. We think veganism is good because it’s the future. This lifestyle is better for the environment, for the people, and for the planet.” Right next to Veganz was Goodies, a vegan and vegetarian café. Steinecke explained that everything in the building was vegan-related for the customers’ convenience. “At the moment there are no big plans to expand outside of Europe because we already have such a big demand even within the continent,” Steinecke said. “Our focus right now is to sell products to big supermarket retailers. If a retailer from, say, South America or Asia comes to us and asks for Veganz products, then we could have products outside of Europe. But at the moment we don’t have any big plans for expansion.” Veganism in Korea is still just a small movement. However, just as veganism was able to become a vast culture in Europe, the potential of active veganism in Korea persists. We may one day find vegan supermarkets and stores in the country as well. Whether you are vegan or not, having such options for people could be beneficial to society in the long run.

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