Throughout the show, it is no surprise that the COVID-19 pandemic and health were discussed. This major shift around health has led to dramatic changes in our day-to-day lives and is evident within the dietary supplement space.
With more people focused on improving their health and trying to stay healthy, the use vitamins and dietary supplements has risen significantly.
According to NBJ’s 2021 Supplement Business Report, the supplement market saw 14.5% sales growth and marked the fastest growth in supplement sales history.
However, there still is some questioning as to how the supplement industry is going to figure out what lessons we can learn from 2020. Therefore, it was great to hear some industry professionals talk about the space at the 2021 Natural Products Expo West.
Key Takeaways from the Discover Supplement Session:
This session was super informative and validated a lot of what we have been seeing in the market: Condition-specific needs, looking for ways to build trust, the need for continued science around health, and finally how to deliver on the consumer’s interests. Here are some of the big ideas we took away:
- Top trends driving category growth:
- Building trust with transparency, science and time-honored ingredients
- Ensuring high functioning products around Sleep, Cognitive, Immunity and Weight management1
- Attribute drivers for growth in the supplement space:
- Functional ingredients like zinc saw over 100% growth.
- Health focuses around sleep, cognitive health and mood continue to see growth.
- The format gaining most growth are gummies, soaring at 42% growth2
- Online trends lead the way before they happen in-store, Amazon dominates eCommerce and makes up over 70% of online supplement sales.3
During this session, it concluded with some supplement product-specific trends. First and probably most obvious, growth in condition-specific supplements during the pandemic boom. The highlight or focus on immunity was used as a gateway into other categories that resonate with consumer interest. Similarly, ingredients are very important for how to deliver certain benefits. Although, many consumers seem to shop for conditions and benefits call-outs. In addition, the focus is on hero ingredients, utilizing trademark or patented ingredients to ensure quality and build trust. Then finally, it is important to note that other adjacent conditions like stress, weight loss, inflammation, and total body support were all mentioned to see potential growth in consumer interest.4
Exciting Dietary Supplements and Brands We Saw Exhibiting
Even though we weren’t able to walk around the show and grab samples of products, it was still exciting to see what brands were launching and the innovation happening in the supplement space. As a now older millennial, I can always use something for my growing knee and joint pains (my body is feeling the effects of playing two sports in college), digestive support, and more than ever take something to help my total body and mind! Here are some of the ones I know I will be trying:
Lady Bug Potions, I Love Myself
Ladybug Potions- I love myself– is a Mood & Whole Body supplement with benefits that make an emotional connection
With this example, we can see this brand is looking towards a holistic wellness approach to nourishing not just your physical, but supporting with mental and emotional health.
Youtheory Tumeric Powder
Youtheory’s Tumeric Powder 5oz. features Turmipure GOLD – a main and high emphasis on the ingredients and the science to back it.
In addition, this brand’s main focus seems to be on quality by committing to guranteed purity, potency, and traceability of every product.
Probulin Total Care Immune Probiotic
Probulin Total Care Immune Probiotic is a pre, pro, and post biotic combined with elderberry.
This brand is all about digestion and ways to support your body’s microbiome. With this new product launch around gut health, it is interesting to see the inclusion of elderberry to help bring a well-known ingredient for immune health, showcasing that one benefit is not enough for consumers.
Ultimately we know there will be some challenges to face after a significant year of growth for dietary supplements. Still, we think the future looks bright for this space as the pandemic has reminded people the best way to stay healthy is to be healthy. There will be health habits that have formed that will need to be supported and continue to stay connected to.
Keep a lookout for our next 2021 Expo West recap on beverages.
- New Hope Network – NEXT Data & Insights
- SPINS Natural Enhanced Channel and SPINS Conventional Multi Outlet (powered by IRI) | 52 Weeks Ending 4-18-2021
- ClearCut Analytics- Expo West Discover Supplements: Trends & Innovative Products
- Nutrition Business Journal, Expo West Discover Supplements: Trends & Innovative Products
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