Beyond Meat expects Q1 sales to be down again

Beyond Meat expects its revenues to person fallen again successful the archetypal 3 months of this twelvemonth amid a “very volatile” marketplace for plant-based meat.

The US alt-meat concern rounded disconnected 2025 with a near-20% autumn successful fourth-quarter revenues – and has guided to different diminution successful the opening 3 months of this year.

The Beyond Burger marque proprietor said this week (31 March) it expects its first-quarter nett revenues to beryllium astir $57-59m, a effect that would comparison to $68.7m successful the corresponding play of 2025. Five years ago, Beyond Meat’s first-quarter nett revenues were $108.2m.

The constricted guidance was issued alongside the work of Beyond Meat’s delayed results for the 4th fourth of 2025 and for the twelvemonth arsenic a whole.

In 2025, the company’s nett revenues dropped 15.6% to $275.5m, which, alongside different items, contributed to wider operating losses.

Speaking to analysts aft the numbers were published, Beyond Meat’s absorption was asked if it could supply immoderate guidance connected its gross margins for 2026 aft seeing them autumn from 12.8% successful 2024 to 2.8% past year.

“Unfortunately, we’re not providing guidance for gross borderline for the year. To supply a small spot of discourse astir that, 1 of the reasons wherefore we proceed to supply lone year-end guidance connected gross is the information that our halfway category, plant-based meat, remains benignant of precise volatile and volumes stay soft,” CFO and treasurer Lubi Kutua said. “And, with that being, obviously, astatine this stage, the immense bulk of our business, the interaction that softer volumes has connected margins tin beryllium beauteous significant.”

Beyond Meat has seen revenues travel nether unit for a fig of quarters, with the concern pointing to brushed request arsenic a factor.

The little volumes being produced by the business, combined with higher input costs and accrued inventories, is weighing connected margins, the institution says.

“The little fixed outgo absorption continues to beryllium a headwind connected margin,” Kutua told analysts. “It’s conscionable highly hard for america to forecast gross borderline to immoderate grade of certainty erstwhile there’s truthful overmuch variability connected the apical line. We person initiatives successful spot that are aimed astatine expanding margins … but, ultimately, we request to spot immoderate stabilisation connected the apical enactment successful bid for america to person greater assurance successful presumption of wherever margins volition shingle out.”

Beyond Meat’s fourth-quarter results – which included a 19.7% diminution successful nett revenues – “reflect persistent anemic request successful the plant-based nutrient category”, laminitis and CEO Ethan Brown added.

Brown besides repeated his content the nutrient manufacture is mis-representing the plant-based alternatives connected sale, which, helium says, is weighing connected demand. Meanwhile, US income of reddish nutrient are connected the rise.