Table of Contents
Executive Summary
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- The issues
- OTC internal analgesic competition tightens for top brands
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- Figure 1: MULO Sales of leading OTC internal analgesics companies, by share, rolling 52 weeks 2014 and 2015
- Traditional external brands see sales decline at expense of diversified growth
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- Figure 2: MULO Sales of select OTC external analgesics, by leading brands, rolling 52 weeks 2014 and 2015
- Feminine pain relief sales decline along with use
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- Figure 3: Sales of OTC internal analgesic feminine pain relievers, 2010-14
- The opportunities
- Growing interest in natural ingredients could deliver sales boost
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- Figure 4: Interest in natural analgesic innovations, February 2015
- Easy to consume, on-the-go formats appeal to a younger generation
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- Figure 5: Interest in convenient analgesic innovations, February 2015
- Expand use of external analgesics by targeting older adults
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- Figure 6: Pain remedies used in past 12 months, by generation, February 2015
- What it means
The Market – What You Need to Know
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- OTC analgesic market has stabilized and steady growth to remain
- Majority of consumers use OTC analgesics, though alternatives to treat pain exist
- Varying factors are likely to impact category growth
Market Size and Forecast
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- OTC analgesic sales stabilize, projected growth is steady
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- Figure 7: Total US sales and fan chart forecast of OTC Analgesics, at current prices, 2010-20
- Figure 8: Total US retail sales and forecast of OTC analgesics, at current prices, 2010-20
Market Breakdown
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- Internal is the category leader though external experiencing greater growth
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- Figure 9: Sales growth trends of OTC analgesic segments, percent change, 2011-15 (est)
- Natural supermarket sales comprised mainly of external remedies
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- Figure 10: Share of natural supermarket analgesic sales, by form, rolling 52 weeks ending 2/22/15
- Figure 11: US retail sales of analgesics, by channel, 2010-14
Market Perspective
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- Alternative pain treatment methods are diverse, some complement OTC use
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- Figure 12: Pain remedies used in past 12 months, February 2015
Market Factors
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- Population age dynamics are shifting, could impact pain relief choices
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- Figure 13: US population aged 18 or older, by age, 2010-20
- Stress trending down, but still not within healthy levels
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- Figure 14: Average American stress levels, 2007-14
- Frequent strenuous workouts point towards pain treatment need
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- Figure 15: Regular exercise participation and frequency, November 2013-December 2014
Key Players – What You Need to Know
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- OTC analgesics competition tightens for top brands as sales increase
- Nighttime relief, children’s liquid, and external analgesics boost sales
- Traditional external and feminine pain relief sales decline; shot format stall
- Analgesics are diversifying; consumers want natural, on-the-go, and tech to relieve pain
Manufacturer Sales of OTC Analgesics
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- Competition at the top continues to tighten, category sales increase
- Manufacturer sales of OTC analgesics
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- Figure 16: MULO sales of OTC analgesics, by leading companies, rolling 52 weeks 2014 and 2015
What’s Working?
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- Nighttime pain relief expands with recent releases by major brands
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- Figure 17: MULO sales of select leading PM internal analgesics, rolling 52 weeks 2014 and 2015
- Liquid sales continue to grow due to leading children’s formulas
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- Figure 18: Sales of OTC internal analgesic liquids, 2010-15
- Figure 19: MULO sales of select children’s liquid analgesics, rolling 52 weeks 2014 and 2015
- Diversified external analgesics market continues to grow
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- Figure 20: MULO sales of OTC external analgesics, by leading companies and brands, rolling 52 weeks 2014 and 2015
- Tylenol launches a string of successful campaigns
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- Figure 21: Tylenol campaign, For what matters most
- Figure 22: Tylenol and GSN campaign, Pop up pop culture pop quiz
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- Figure 23: Tylenol PM campaign, #IWasSoTired
What’s Struggling?
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- Feminine pain reliever segment experiencing sales decreases
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- Figure 24: Sales of OTC internal analgesic feminine pain relievers, 2010-14
- Figure 25: MULO sales of select feminine pain relievers, rolling 52 weeks 2014 and 2015
- Traditional external analgesic brands trend downward
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- Figure 26: MULO sales of select OTC external analgesics brands, rolling 52 weeks 2014 and 2015
- Shot format MULO sales stall despite new product introductions
What’s Next?
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- Natural products and ingredients becoming more essential to pain relief
- Pain relief on-the-go is gaining traction
- TENS evolving into affordable, discreet designs and competition for OTC
The Consumer – What You Need to Know
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- OTC internal analgesics are the leading pain treatment choice
- Name brand analgesics are preferred over store brand
- Consumers are most interested and willing to pay more for natural
Product Usage
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- Aligning with sales, internal remedies used most to treat pain
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- Figure 27: Pain remedies used in past 12 months, February 2015
- External remedies used less often, opportunities to expand usage
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- Figure 28: Pain remedies used in past 12 months, by segment, February 2015
Treatment by Type of Pain
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- Different pains require a particular segment of pain relief
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- Figure 29: Correspondence analysis – Pain remedy segments used to treat specific pain, February 2015
Treatment Choice by Specific Remedy
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- Headaches and upper body pains require OTC treatment
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- Figure 30: Top three reasons for using headache and pain relievers, November 2013-December 2014
- The majority of pains can be treated with ibuprofen
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- Figure 31: Pain remedy used to treat specific pain, February 2015
Purchasing Behavior
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- Consumers prefer a brand name OTC internal analgesic
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- Figure 32: Behavior when purchasing branded versus private label internal OTC pain relievers, February 2015
- Omitting price, name brands and store brands perform similarly
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- Figure 33: Brand impact on perceptions of OTC internal pain relievers, February 2015
Areas for Innovation
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- Consumers are interested in natural and some willing to pay more
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- Figure 34: Interest and willingness to pay for natural analgesic innovations, February 2015
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- Figure 35: Types of headache and pain relievers used, Fall 2009-14
- Easy to consume formats are appealing to young adults
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- Figure 36: Interest and willingness to pay for convenient analgesic innovations, February 2015
- Smart packaging and apps are nice to have, but not worth paying for
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- Figure 37: Interest and willingness to pay for technology analgesic innovations, February 2015
Data Sources and Abbreviations
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- Data sources
- Sales data
- Fan chart forecast
- Consumer survey data
- Abbreviations and terms
- Abbreviations
- Terms
Appendix – Market
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- Figure 38: Total US retail sales and forecast of analgesics, at inflation-adjusted prices, 2010-20
- Figure 39: Total US retail sales of analgesics, by segment, at current prices, 2013 and 2015
- Figure 40: Natural supermarket sales of analgesics, by form, at current prices, rolling 52 weeks ending 2/24/13 and 2/22/15
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- Figure 41: Total US retail sales of analgesics, by channel, at current prices, 2010-15
- Figure 42: Total US retail sales of analgesics, by channel, at current prices, 2013 and 2015
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Appendix – Key Players
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- Figure 43: MULO sales of OTC internal analgesics, by leading companies and brands, rolling 52 weeks 2014 and 2015
- Figure 44: MULO sales of OTC external analgesics, by leading companies and brands, rolling 52 weeks 2014 and 2015
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Appendix – Consumer
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- Correspondence analysis methodology
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- Figure 45: Frequency of headache and pain reliever use, November 2013-December 2014
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- Figure 46: Products used to relieve PMS symptoms, November 2013-December 2014
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