Sustaining a First Mover Advantage in a Fast-Growing Meat Substitute Market

With the demographic and social changes, and increasing concern for animals and sustainability of planet earth, there has been great interest in consumption of non-meat (and fish) products in the U.S. The coronavirus that impacted U.S. in Spring of 2020 and advances in delivery technology in service sectors has also accelerated the demand and market of plant-based “meats.” Beyond Meat is a first mover in the meat substitute (plant-based) market. This paper analyses whether the sustainability of first mover advantages of Beyond Meat is feasible using two frameworks. One framework shows that based on fast changes in market and technological evolutions, Beyond Meat is unlikely to sustain its first mover advantage. The second framework analysis using first mover advantage as proxy for competitive advantage comes to the same conclusion. In the long run, if managed properly Beyond Meat is likely to find itself in a duopoly market structure with Impossible Foods