Table of Contents
Overview
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- What you need to know
- Definition
Executive Summary
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- The issues
- Category is growing, though at slower rates
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- Figure 1: Total US sales and fan chart forecast of vitamins, minerals and supplements, at current prices, 2011-22
- Several purchase factors are at play making purchase decisions challenging
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- Figure 2: Select VMS purchase influencers, any rank (net), June 2017
- Trust and expense are barriers despite benefit perceptions
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- Figure 3: Select attitudes towards vitamins, minerals, and supplements, June 2016
- The opportunities
- Enhance online shopping to ease consumer frustrations
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- Figure 4: Select statements about VMS shopping experience, June 2017
- Emphasize the role of VMS as part of a healthy lifestyle
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- Figure 5: Select attitudes and opinions about health and medicine, January 2016- March 2017 and select attitudes towards vitamins, minerals, and supplements, June 2017
- Widen natural and organic offerings to leverage consumer preferences
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- Figure 6: Select VMS claims perceptions and select purchase influencers- any rank (net), June 2017
- What it means
The Market – What You Need to Know
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- Market is growing, but at a slower rate
- All segments post gains, but below last year’s growth
- Scientific studies and legislation impact the industry
- Struggles to eat healthy, high consumer confidence, and Hispanic growth bode well for VMS market
Market Size and Forecast
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- Slowing growth shows beginning signs of a maturing market
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- Figure 7: Total US sales and fan chart forecast of vitamins, minerals, and supplements, at current prices, 2012-22
- Figure 8: Total US retail sales and forecast of vitamins, minerals, and supplements, at current prices, 2012-22
Market Breakdown
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- All segments post gains but see slowed momentum
- Lack of “buzz,” lapsed usage hinder vitamin sales potential
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- Figure 9: Total US retail sales and forecast of vitamins, minerals, and supplements, by segment, at current prices, 2012-22
- Minerals experience lower growth hindered by calcium
Market Perspective
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- New studies highlight positive impact of VMS
- VMS over-exposures among children commands action
- WIC Improvement Act could boost sales while expanding access
Market Factors
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- Struggles to eat healthy suggest opportunity for VMS
- High consumer confidence at the start of 2017 bodes well for VMS sales
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- Figure 10: Consumer sentiment index, January 2007-June 2017
- Hispanic population growth could boost herbal supplements
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- Figure 11: Population by race and Hispanic origin, 2012-22
Key Players – What You Need to Know
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- Carlyle, private label struggle while Pharmavite grows
- Smaller brands, select liquid VMS, and online sales grow market
- Private label, long-standing supplements and multivitamins miss the mark
- Amazon Elements, new online brands poised for growth
Company and Brand Sales of Vitamins, Minerals, and Supplements
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- Largest manufacturer losing market share; “other” brands gaining
- Successful segments help drive continued growth for Pharmavite
- Cost savings not enough to drive private label purchasing
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- Figure 12: MULO sales of vitamins, minerals and supplements, by leading companies and brands, rolling 52 weeks 2016 and 2017
What’s Working?
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- Smaller brands outpace average market growth
- Various product attributes drive growth in liquid formats
- Online VMS sales boom as users view it as easier
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- Figure 13: Walgreens email campaign, August 12, 2017
What’s Struggling?
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- Private label struggles to keep pace in changing brand matrix
- Long-standing multivitamin and supplement brands struggle
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- Figure 14: MULO sales of select vitamin, mineral, and supplement brands, rolling 52 weeks 2016-17
- Vitamints’ sales decline suggests the novelty has worn off
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- Figure 15: MULO sales of Centrum Vitamints, rolling 52 weeks 2016-17
What’s Next?
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- Amazon’s Elements to become the next big brand?
- Growth in self-diagnostic tests could help dispel efficacy doubt
- New online brands overhaul VMS experience, poised for growth
The Consumer – What You Need to Know
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- More than half of adults are daily VMS users
- Encourage e-commerce to ease in-store shopping frustrations
- No one factor dominates purchase decisions at the shelf
- Wide variety of product claims lessen the impact
- Positive health perceptions don’t always outweigh barriers
- Gummies are a nice-to-have rather than must-have
Product Usage and Frequency
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- Most adults take a VMS and do so daily
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- Figure 16: VMS product usage and frequency, June 2017
- Occasional use is common, but may be circumvented
- Remind users of health benefits to avoid lapsed usage
- Adults aged 25-44 use greater variety, but lack consistency
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- Figure 17: VMS product usage, any current use (net), by age, June 2017
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- Figure 18: Any vitamin or supplement use (net), by frequency, by age, June 2017
- Younger population, lower skepticism drives usage among Hispanics
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- Figure 19: VMS product usage, any current use (net), by Hispanic origin, June 2017
Shopping Experience
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- Stores should address frustrations to avoid missed sales
- Purchase habits should be leveraged for greater loyalty
- Online shopping a natural fit for VMS, should be emphasized
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- Figure 20: VMS shopping experience, June 2017
- Shopping struggles ease as VMS users age
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- Figure 21: VMS shopping experience, agree, by age, June 2017
- Opportunity to increase spend among Hispanics
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- Figure 22: VMS shopping experience, agree, by Hispanic origin, June 2017
Purchase Influencers
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- External influencers
- Doctor’s recommendation wields most influence over product choice
- Online reviews have supplemental, but notable, influence in purchases
- At-shelf influencers
- Multiple factors dictate decisions at the shelf
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- Figure 23: VMS purchase influencers, any rank (net), June 2017
- Product purchases become more consistent with age
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- Figure 24: VMS purchase influencers, any rank (net), by age, June 2017
- English-speaking Hispanics more engaged in VMS purchases
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- Figure 25: VMS purchase influencers, any rank (net), by Hispanic origin, June 2017
- In their words: VMS product selection
Claims Perceptions
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- Category confusion drives interest in a variety of claims
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- Figure 26: VMS claims perceptions, June 2017
- Purchase influencers impact claim perceptions
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- Figure 27: Select claims perceptions, by select purchase influencers – Any rank (net), July 2017
- Adults aged 55+ more persuaded by specific needs than general health
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- Figure 28: Select VMS claims perceptions, by age, June 2017
- Doctor recommended not as persuasive for Hispanics
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- Figure 29: Select VMS claims perceptions, by Hispanic origin, June 2017
Attitudes towards Vitamins, Minerals, and Supplements
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- VMS have positive perceptions
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- Figure 30: Attitudes towards vitamins, minerals, and supplements, June 2017
- Trust and expense are a tough pill to swallow for some
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- Figure 31: Average US retail price of health and wellness products, by category, at current prices, August 2016- August 2017
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- Figure 32: Product usage and frequency, by those who agree these products are expensive, June 2017
- Users report satisfaction with current products
- Younger adults report higher pill fatigue; trouble remembering to take
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- Figure 33: Attitudes towards vitamins, minerals, and supplements, by age, June 2017
- Hispanics hold higher category trust
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- Figure 34: Attitudes towards vitamins, minerals, and supplements, by Hispanic origin, June 2017
Perceptions of Gummies
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- Not a must-have, yet gummies do offer a nice break from pills
- Flavor doesn’t determine gummy purchase decisions
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- Figure 35: Perceptions of gummies, June 2017
- Younger adults embrace the fun and taste of gummies
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- Figure 36: Perceptions of gummies, by age, June 2017
- Hispanic consumers more positive towards gummies
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- Figure 37: Perceptions of gummies, by Hispanic origin, June 2017
Appendix – Data Sources and Abbreviations
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- Data sources
- Sales data
- Fan chart forecast
- Consumer survey data
- Consumer qualitative research
- Direct marketing creative
- Abbreviations and terms
- Abbreviations
- Terms
Appendix – The Market
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- Figure 38: Total US sales and forecast of market, at inflation-adjusted prices, 2012-22
- Figure 39: Total US retail sales and forecast of vitamins, minerals, and supplements, by segment, at current prices, 2012-22
- Figure 40: Total US retail sales of vitamins, minerals, and supplements, by segment, at current prices, 2015 and 2017
- Figure 41: Total US retail sales of vitamins, minerals, and supplements, by channel, at current prices, 2012-16
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- Figure 42: Total US retail sales of vitamins, minerals, and supplements, by channel, at current prices, 2015 and 2016
- Figure 43: Total US retail sales and forecast of vitamins, at current prices, 2012-22
- Figure 44: Total US retail sales and forecast of minerals, at current prices, 2012-22
- Figure 45: Total US retail sales and forecast of supplements and herbs/botanicals, at current prices, 2012-22
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- Figure 46: Total US retail sales and forecast of vitamins, minerals, and supplements, by segment, at current prices, 2017 (est)
- Figure 47: Total US Sales growth and forecast of fish/Animal oils, at current prices, 2012-21(est)
- Figure 48: Total US Sales growth and forecast of probiotics, at current prices, 2012-21(est)
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Appendix – Key Players
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- Figure 49: MULO sales of vitamins, minerals and supplements, by leading companies, rolling 52 weeks 2016 and 2017
- Figure 50: MULO sales of vitamins, by leading companies and brands, rolling 52 weeks 2016 and 2017
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- Figure 51: MULO sales of minerals and supplements, by leading companies and brands, rolling 52 weeks 2016 and 2017
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Appendix – The Consumer
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- Figure 52: Attitudes and opinions about health and medicine, January 2016- March 2017
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- Figure 53: Product usage repertoire groups, June 2017
- Methodology
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- Figure 54: TURF Analysis–Claims perception, June 2017
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