Table of Contents
Executive Summary
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- Figure 1: Short, medium and longer term impact of COVID-19 on cold, cough, flu and allergy remedies, April 2020
- Market overview
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- Figure 2: Total US retail sales and forecast of cold, cough, flu and allergy remedies at current prices, 2014-24
- Top takeaways
- The issues
- COVID-19 increases demand for cold, cough, flu solutions
- Consumers are loyal to effective symptom relief, not brand name
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- Figure 3: Agree always choose remedies that worked in the past and symptom a product treats is more important than brand name, January 2020
- The “no sick days” mentality contributes to consumer guilt
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- Figure 4: I can’t afford to stay home when I’m sick, December 2018
- The opportunities
- Building proactive purchase through immune system support
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- Figure 5: Select attitudes toward immune system support products, January 2020
- A spoonful of wellness helps the medicine go down
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- Figure 6: Product usage by ailment experienced – any ailment (net), January 2020
- What it means/what’s next
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The Impact of COVID-19 on Cold, Cough, Flu and Allergy Remedies
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- What you need to know
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- Figure 7: Short, medium and longer term impact of COVID-19 on cold, cough, flu and allergy remedies, April 2020
- Opportunities and Threats
- Worry over contracting illness heightens purchases of cold, cough, flu remedies
- An untapped need to prepare Americans for future illness seasons
- Vaccinations could gain more favorable standing following outbreak
- Germ reducing habits beyond COVID-19 may flatten the common illness curve
- Offer full product support for illness management
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- Figure 8: Instagram post, Cabinet preparedness kit, April 2020
- Help illness worriers become illness warriors
- Impact on the cold, cough, flu and allergy remedies market
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- Figure 9: Total US retail sales and forecast of cold, cough, flu and allergy remedies at current prices, 2014-24
- How the crisis will affect cold, cough, flu and allergy remedies key consumer segments
- Stay home to stay safe: the new expectation
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- Figure 10: I can’t afford to stay home when I’m sick, December 2018
- Allergy sufferers will stay in control of their symptoms
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- Figure 11: Frequency of ailments experienced in the past 12 months, January 2020
- Parents already have medicine on hand; the “do-it-all” stigma will shift
- Establishing a relationship between the aging population and telehealth
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- Figure 12: Physician interaction as symptoms worsen, by age, January 2020
- Young adults are more active in immune system support than illness management
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- Figure 13: Self-led treatment methods at the onset of symptoms – any rank, by age, January 2020
- Room to grow young adults’ understanding of illness management
- How a COVID-19 recession will reshape the cold, cough, flu and allergy remedies industry
- OTC market maintained sales during last recession
- Naturals must prove efficacy to be considered over mainstream brands
- Private label brands will continue to command sales from mainstream players
- COVID-19: US context
The Market – What You Need to Know
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- High incidence of illness means high purchase rate of OTCs
- Stocking up leads to more purchases from online/mass retailers
- Natural claims increase as consumers prioritize safety
- For the most part, everyone gets sick.
Market Size and Forecast
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- Incidence of illness and fear over COVID-19 bolsters the cold, cough, flu and allergy remedy market
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- Figure 14: Total US retail sales and forecast of cold, cough, flu and allergy remedies at current prices, 2014-24
Market Breakdown
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- Cold/sinus remedies dominate market share
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- Figure 15: Total US retail sales and forecast of cold, cough, flu and allergy remedies, by segment, at current prices, 2014-19
- Online and mass retailers surpass drugstores as main purchase location
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- Figure 16: Total US retail sales of cold, cough, flu and allergy remedies, by channel, at current prices, 2017 and 2019
Market Perspective
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- Natural claims mainstream in the CCFA category
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- Figure 17: Cold, cough, flu and allergy products, by top three leading claims, 2015-2020
- The Amazon impact on OTC categories is growing
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- Figure 18: Select attitudes toward Amazon, by age, January 2020
Market Factors
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- Propensity to treat common ailments boosts market
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- Figure 19: Any treatment by ailment experienced – net, January 2020
- Who gets sick? Everyone, especially parents
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- Figure 20: Ailments experienced in the past 12 months, by various demographics, January 2020
- Family living creates significant market for CCFA remedies
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- Figure 21: Family and non-family households, 2018
- Growing aging population experiences lower incidence of common illness
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- Figure 22: Population aged 18 or older, by age, 2014-24
Key Players – What You Need to Know
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- Legacy brands maintain growth
- Natural remedies can help parents and their kids
- New formats could differentiate crowded shelves
- Private label brands increase presence across segments
- Stop the “sick day” guilt
- Immune system support is the next big thing
- Sip on wellness
- Bringing allergy testing into mainstream drug stores
Company and Brand Sales of Cold, Cough, Flu and Allergy Remedies
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- Key players maintain growth in common illness management
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- Figure 23: Multi-outlet sales of cold, cough, flu, and allergy remedies, by leading companies, rolling 52 weeks 2019 and 2020
- Legacies Mucinex and Vicks dominate the cold/sinus market
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- Figure 24: Multi-outlet sales of cold/sinus remedies, by leading companies and brands, rolling 52 weeks 2019 and 2020
What’s Working
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- Going viral: Mucinex partners with TikTok
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- Figure 25: Multi-outlet sales of Mucinex, rolling 52 weeks 2019 and 2020
- Natural remedies targeted to parents
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- Figure 26: Multi-outlet sales of select natural remedies, rolling 52 weeks 2019 and 2020
- Claritin explores new format to differentiate from competitors
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- Figure 27: Multi-outlet sales of allergy remedies, by leading companies and brands, rolling 52 weeks 2019 and 2020
What’s Struggling
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- Private label continues to close the gap across segments
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- Figure 28: Multi-outlet sales of cold, cough, flu, and allergy remedies, by total brands and private label, rolling 52 weeks 2019 and 2020
- “No days off” mentality contributes to the spread of illness
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- Figure 29: Worry over risk of exposure to COVID-19, March 27-April 2, 2020
What to Watch
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- Proactive immune system support offers opportunity
- Finding wellness during illness
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- Figure 30: Product usage by ailment experienced – any ailment (net), January 2020
- Allergy testing in retail health setting
The Consumer – What You Need to Know
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- Nearly all adults experience common illness
- OTC treatments are the go-to solution, naturals are secondary
- Americans are individualistic when it comes to common illness
- Adults manage illness with self-led methods at the onset of symptoms
- When symptoms worsen, it’s time to call the doctor
- Familiarity and perceived efficacy are most important
Ailments Experienced and Frequency
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- Common illness is universal among US adults
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- Figure 31: Ailments experienced in the past 12 months, January 2020
- Allergy and illness symptoms occur most regularly
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- Figure 32: Frequency of ailments experienced in the past 12 months, January 2020
- Allergies don’t differentiate based on demographic
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- Figure 33: Regular incidence of allergies in the past 12 months, by various demographics, January 2020
- Parents get germs from their little ones
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- Figure 34: Ailments experienced in the past 12 months, by children in the household, January 2020
Product Usage by Ailment Experienced
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- Cold, cough, flu and allergy ailments share treatment methods
- Traditional OTCs offering multi-symptom relief are widely used
- Natural remedies may struggle with perceived efficacy
- A wellness focus could bolster consideration of naturally positioned products
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- Figure 35: Product usage by ailment experienced, January 2020
- OTC remedies remain the go-to treatment solution
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- Figure 36: Product usage by ailment experienced – any ailment (net), January 2020
- Naturally positioned remedies garner interest among young women
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- Figure 37: Product usage by ailment experienced – any ailment (net), by gender and age, January 2020
- Natural remedy takers are open to proactive treatment methods
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- Figure 38: Product usage by ailment experienced – any ailment (net), by product usage, January 2020
Flu Shot Attitudes and Barriers
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- Flu shots are prioritized by half of Americans
- The flu impacts many, but flu shots protect many more
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- Figure 39: Flu shot incidence, January 2020
- Who is more likely than average to get a flu shot?
- Pandemic puts the importance of vaccination in perspective
- Seasonal flu getters seek protection from the flu shot
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- Figure 40: Frequency of ailments experienced in the past 12 months, by flu shot incidence, January 2020
- Help me help myself
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- Figure 41: Reasons for getting the flu shot, January 2020
- Adults who don’t get the flu shot are not easy to influence
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- Figure 42: Motivations to get a flu shot, January 2020
Ailment Management at the Onset of Symptoms
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- Simple, familiar methods act as initial illness defense
- Self-treatment is preferred when symptoms first occur
- Natural remedies have a place at the onset of symptoms
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- Figure 43: Ailment management at the onset of symptoms, January 2020
- Young adults take less action at the onset of symptoms
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- Figure 44: Self-led treatment methods at the onset of symptoms – any rank, by age, January 2020
Ailment Management as Symptoms Worsen
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- Self-led treatment methods hold strong for severe symptoms
- Adults still rely on OTC medication when symptoms worsen
- Consumers are confident in their treatment approach for common illness
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- Figure 45: Ailment management as symptoms worsen, January 2020
- Seeking medical attention increases with symptom severity
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- Figure 46: Physician interaction at the onset of symptoms vs as symptoms worsen, January 2020
- Age differentiates physician interaction
- Aging adults find comfort in visiting the doctor’s office
- 18-24 year olds are a good target for immediate care facilities
- Virtual visits skew toward 25-24 year olds
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- Figure 47: Physician interaction as symptoms worsen, by age, January 2020
Attitudes toward Recovery Remedies
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- Familiarity and trust are key for symptom management
- The power of familiarity and trust cannot be replicated
- Product claims and side effect profile are more impactful than brand name
- Opportunity for immune system support to shift the market from reactive to proactive
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- Figure 48: Attitudes toward recovery remedies, January 2020
- Attitudes toward recovery don’t change when ailments occur
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- Figure 49: Ailments experienced, by attitudes toward recovery remedies, January 2020
- Older adults want safety first
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- Figure 50: Select attitudes toward recovery remedies, by age, January 2020
- Women avoid added side effects
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- Figure 51: Select attitudes toward recovery remedies, by gender, January 2020
Appendix – Data Sources and Abbreviations
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- Data sources
- Sales data
- Consumer survey data
- Abbreviations and terms
- Abbreviations
Appendix – The Market
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- Figure 52: Total US retail sales and forecast of cold, cough, flu and allergy remedies, at inflation-adjusted prices, 2014-2024
- Figure 53: Total US retail sales of cold, cough, flu and allergy remedies, by segment, at current prices, 2017 and 2019
- Figure 54: Total US retail sales of cold/sinus remedies, at current prices, 2014-19
- Figure 55: Total US retail sales of cold/throat remedies, at current prices, 2014-19
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- Figure 56: Total US retail sales of allergy remedies, at current prices, 2014-19
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Appendix – Key Players
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- Figure 57: Multi-outlet sales of cold/throat remedies, by leading companies and brands, rolling 52 weeks 2019 and 2020
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