What you need to know

First aid products, such as adhesive bandages and antiseptic treatments, are household staples, and hence there is high penetration in the market. Because these are a commodity product, sales continue to grow slowly and steadily. Price is a driving factor in purchase selection, making private label brands a significant player in the category.

Expanding into new usage opportunities as well as increasing usage among growing population segments (eg non-White consumers), can help to increase sales. Addressing the needs of aging consumers who are using products such as muscle/body support devices at increased rates and focusing on on-the-go preparedness are two strong opportunities for the category.

This report builds on the analysis presented in Mintel’s First Aid – US, December 2013, as well as the September 2012, July 2010, July 2008, and September 2002 reports of the same title.

Definition

For the purposes of this report, the first aid market is defined as including the following products:

First aid accessories:

  • Bandages

  • First aid tape

  • Gauze/cotton balls/swabs

  • First aid kits

  • Personal thermometers

First aid treatments:

  • Antiseptic ointments

  • First aid creams, wipes, sprays

Muscle/body support devices (eg, Ace bandages and muscle sleeves)

Foot-care devices:

  • Arch support

  • Shoe inserts/insoles

  • Ped Egg

  • Bunion treatment (splits, sleeves, toe separators)

The market size provided in this report differs from previous reports due to the addition of foot-care devices. This segment was previously included in Mintel's Footcare—US, January 2012. The muscle/body support devices segment estimate and forecast have also been revised based on changes in assumptions about the share of total sales represented by MULO channels.

This report excludes the following products:

  • Anti-itch products (see Mintel’s Medicated Skincare—US, December 2014 report)

  • Insect first aid treatments (see Mintel’s Medicated Skincare—US, December 2014 report)

  • Heat/ice packs (see Mintel’s Analgesics – US, June 2014 report)

  • Smelling salts

Value figures throughout this report are at retail selling prices (rsp) excluding sales tax unless otherwise stated.

Data sources

Sales data

  • Market Size and Forecast and Segment Performance: Total retail sales based on Information Resources, Inc. InfoScan Reviews; US Census Bureau, Economic Census; forecast developed by Mintel.

  • Retail Channels: Based on Information Resources Inc., InfoScan Reviews; US Census Bureau, Economic Census/Mintel; except supermarket and drug store sales, which are based on Information Resources, Inc. InfoScan Reviews.

  • Leading Companies and Brand Share: Based on MULO sales data from Information Resources, Inc. InfoScan Reviews. MULO is defined as Multi Outlet, representative of the following channels: total US Grocery, Mass, Total US Drug, Total Walmart, Dollar, Military, and Club. Note that the values shown in this section differ from the Market Size/Forecast and Segment Performance sections of this report. Companies and brands sales data encompasses only sales through MULO channels, while Market Size/Forecast and Segment Performance sales cover the entire retail market.

Consumer survey data

For the purposes of this report, Mintel commissioned exclusive consumer research through Lightspeed GMI to explore consumer use of and attitudes toward first aid products. Mintel was responsible for the survey design, data analysis, and reporting. Fieldwork was conducted in September 2014 among a sample of 2,000 adults aged 18+ with access to the internet.

Mintel selects survey respondents by gender, age, household income, and region so that they are proportionally representative of the US adult population using the internet. Mintel also slightly over-samples, relative to the population, respondents that are Hispanic or Black to ensure an adequate representation of these groups in our survey results and to allow for more precise parameter estimates from our reported findings. Please note that Mintel surveys are conducted online and in English only. Hispanics who are not online and/or do not speak English are not included in the survey results.

Mintel has also analyzed data from Experian Marketing Services, using the Simmons National Consumer Study (NCS), the Simmons National Hispanic Consumer Study (NHCS).

The Experian Marketing Services, Simmons NHCS was carried out during April 2013-June 2014 and the results are based on the sample of 24,073 adults aged 18+, with results weighted to represent the US adult population. Additional data from Experian Marketing Services, Spring 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, and 2014 is included for April 2009-June 2010, April 2010-June 2011, April 2011-June 2012, May 2012-June 2013, April 2013-June 2014.

While race and Hispanic origin are separate demographic characteristics, Mintel often compares them to each other. Please note that the responses for race (white, black, Asian, Native American, or other race) will overlap those that also are Hispanic, because Hispanics can be of any race.

Abbreviations and terms

Abbreviations

The following is a list of abbreviations used in this report:

CPI Consumer Price Index
GNPD Global New Products Database
MULO Multi Outlet, representative of the following channels: total US Grocery, Mass, total US Drug, total Walmart, Dollar, Military, and Club
NHCS National Consumer Study /National Hispanic Consumer Study (Experian Marketing Services)
rsp Retail selling price

Terms

Plantar fasciitis Pain and inflammation of the plantar fascia, which is a thick band of tissue that runs across the bottom of the foot and connects the heel bone

Generations, if discussed within this report, are defined as:

World War II/ Swing generations Members of the WWII generation were born in 1932 or before and are aged 82 or older in 2014. Members of the Swing Generation were born from 1933-1945 and are aged 69-81 in 2014.
Baby Boomers The generation born between 1946 and 1964. In 2014, Baby Boomers are between the ages of 50 and 68.
Generation X The generation born between 1965 and 1976. In 2014, Gen Xers are between the ages of 38 and 49.
Millennials* Born between 1977 and 1994, Millennials are aged 20 to 37 in 2014.
iGeneration Born between 1995 and 2007, members of iGen are aged 7 to 19 in 2014
Emerging generation The newest generation began in 2008 as the annual number of births declined sharply with the recession. In 2014 members of this as-yet unnamed generation are under age 7.

* also known as Generation Y or Echo Boomers

In order to provide an inflation-adjusted price value for markets, Mintel uses the CPI to deflate current prices. The CPI is defined as follows:

CPI The Consumer Price Index is a measure of the average change over time in the prices paid by urban consumers for a market basket of consumer goods and services.

The CPI and its components are typically used to adjust other economic series for price changes and to translate these series into inflation-free dollars. Examples of series adjusted by the CPI include retail sales, hourly and weekly earnings, and components of the national income and product accounts. In addition, and in Mintel reports, the CPI is used as a deflator of the value of the consumer’s dollar to find its purchasing power. The purchasing power of the consumer's dollar measures the change in the value to the consumer of goods and services that a dollar will buy at different dates.

The CPI is generally the best measure for adjusting payments to consumers when the intent is to allow consumers to purchase, at today’s prices, a market basket of goods and services equivalent to one that they could purchase in an earlier period. It is also the best measure to use to translate retail sales into real or inflation-free dollars.

Based on Bureau of Labor Statistics definition.

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