Kroger, Impossible Foods partner to sell meat substitutes; Beyond Meat shares fall
Impossible Pork Char Siu Buns are sampled during an Impossible Foods press event for CES 2020 at the Mandalay Bay Convention Center on January 6, 2020 in Las Vegas, Nevada.

Kroger announced Friday at an investor event that it has partnered with Impossible Foods to sell plant-based meals under its private label business.

Shares of Impossible's rival, Beyond Meat , tumbled more than 7% in afternoon trading; the stock has plunged 68% in the last 12 months, dragging its market value down to $2.72 billion.

Credit Suisse analyst Robert Moskow wrote in a Friday note to clients that the Kroger-Impossible Foods tie-up could be a threat to Beyond.

"We view this test as a threat to Beyond Meat because it demonstrates the willingness of a big competitor to 'margin down' into co-branded private label products in order to maximize the reach of its products," he wrote.

Moskow compared the test to the co-branding strategy that Costco's Kirkland line uses for fresh meat with large suppliers like Tyson Foods . Those products have both Kirkland's and Tyson's logos on their packaging.

The partnership could introduce meat alternatives to more consumers, particularly those who are more price sensitive. Both Beyond and Impossible are pushing to achieve price parity with animal meat, which could attract more shoppers to switch to their products. Rising costs for meat in recent months have helped both companies draw closer to that goal.

Kroger has already dabbled in private label plant-based meat. The retailer, which is the largest U.S. supermarket chain, released a beef alternative in 2020 under its Simple Truth brand. It has since released meatless turkey slices, plant-based chicken patties and other meat substitutes.

A representative for Impossible confirmed the partnership but declined to share further details.

Impossible is privately held, so it doesn't have to share its financial results publicly. However, Reuters reported nearly a year ago that the start-up was exploring listing through an initial public offering or a special purpose acquisition company within the next year.