European Retail Overview – Superlist 2026: The Protein Transition Will Soon No Longer Be a Choice, but a Competitiveness Indicator

While the Hungarian food sector is struggling with everyday operational challenges, a serious structural shift is taking place in Western European retail, one that may rewrite supplier expectations and shelf layouts in the near future.

The newly published Superlist Environment Europe 2026 benchmark report, which examined 27 retail chains across 8 countries, sends a clear and unambiguous message: the era of sustainability “PR” is over — we are now talking about measurable data and corporate commitments regarding protein ratios.

Where Does Europe Stand? The Lidl Effect and Dutch Dominance

The most important finding of the report is that German and Dutch chains (especially Albert Heijn, Jumbo, Rewe, and Aldi Süd) are no longer merely talking about change, but already have concrete plans (roadmaps) in place.

A critical piece of information from the perspective of the Hungarian market is Lidl’s performance: the discount chain ranked among the leaders in almost every examined country (Germany, the Netherlands, Poland, Spain), particularly in the area of the protein transition.

Transparent data reporting is becoming a new entry threshold for supplier competitiveness. Based on our experience, European standards applied elsewhere will sooner or later also appear in Hungarian procurement practices.

The Protein Split: The Magic 60:40 Ratio

Superlist’s data confirms that two-thirds of retail chains are no longer deflecting responsibility when it comes to shifting toward plant-based diets.

The more progressive chains (for example, Dutch players) have jointly set the goal of achieving a 60:40 plant-to-animal protein ratio by 2030.

(This ratio applies to protein-containing food categories and not to the entire food basket!)

Retail chains’ Scope 3 emissions targets (which account for approximately 90–93% of their total footprint) will directly relate to the composition of their product portfolios.

Any food manufacturer who fails to take this into account today may easily find themselves at a market disadvantage within a five-year horizon. Retailers will simply have no other choice if they want to meet their commitments.

Retail chains are aligning their procurement strategies with the scientific frameworks of the Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi), which forces a radical rebalancing of product portfolios.

The dynamics of the Hungarian market, however, are unique: Western European awareness and domestic price sensitivity are in direct tension with one another.

Although Hungary was not featured in the Superlist ranking, NÉGYOSZ’s own research and PwC’s 2025 Voice of the Consumer report add nuance to the domestic outlook:

• Generation Z as a driving force:
  20% of Hungarian 16–27-year-olds already follow a special diet (14% flexitarian, 4% vegetarian, 2% vegan). This is the segment for whom, alongside taste (95%), health benefits and sustainability have become decision factors.
• The “meat-reducing” trend:
  According to PwC data, 60% of Hungarian consumers plan to increase their purchases of fresh vegetables and fruits, while 19% plan to reduce their consumption of red meat.
• The price barrier:
  The greatest obstacle to the spread of plant-based alternatives in Hungary is the perceived or real price premium (60% believe they are more expensive). The structural limitation of the Hungarian market is extreme price sensitivity: according to PwC’s 2025 data, price is the dominant decision factor for 78% of shoppers. This means that the protein transition will only succeed domestically if manufacturers achieve price parity with conventional products — something that, according to NÉGYOSZ, must be supported through targeted VAT policy tools.

What Does This Mean for Hungarian Business Leaders?

Based on the Superlist report, we assume that international retail chains (especially Lidl, Aldi, Rewe/Penny) will likely extend protein ratio reporting obligations to Hungary as well.

This will create pressure in two directions:

• For retail companies:
  They must begin measuring their own shelf-level protein ratios using some standardized methodology if they do not want to fall behind in group-level sustainability competition.
• For manufacturers:
  Innovation budgets must be shifted toward “clean label” and price-competitive plant-based products. According to PwC data, more than half of consumers (55%) expect manufacturers to guide them toward healthier diets.

What Does This Mean Overall?

Superlist 2026 proves that sustainability in Western Europe is no longer “greenwashing” — we are talking about hard-core category management.

Retailers meet consumers every single day. Retail influence is one of the largest and, until now, one of the least activated areas of impact.

The Hungarian food economy will remain competitive only if we treat this direction not as an unavoidable constraint, but as an opportunity for innovation.

At NÉGYOSZ, we support our members in this — from scientifically grounded argumentation to government-level efforts aimed at achieving tax parity.

This analysis is based on a synthesis of the Superlist Environment Europe 2026 report, PwC’s Voice of the Consumer 2025 – Hungary, and NÉGYOSZ’s Gen Z nutrition trend research data.

When adapting international trends to the domestic context, we have taken into account Hungary’s specific price sensitivity and the weight of discount retail chains.