Health and Wellness Healthcare in Belgium

Euromonitor International's Health and Wellness Healthcare in Belgium market report offers a comprehensive guide to the size and shape of the market at a national level. It provides the latest retail sales data, allowing you to identify the sectors driving growth. It identifies the leading companies, the leading brands and offers strategic analysis of key factors influencing the market - be they new product developments, packaging innovations, economic/lifestyle influences, distribution or pricing issues. Forecasts illustrate how the market is set to change.

Why buy this report

• Get insight into trends in market performance
• Pinpoint growth sectors and identify factors driving change
• Identify market and brand leaders and understand the competitive environment

Table of contents

1. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

Surprising slowdown after years of steady growth

Some strategic products suddenly decline

A rather deregulated environment that is insufficiently exploited

Omega Pharma emerges from highly fragmented environment

HW healthcare should recover, but growth will stabilise

2. MARKET BACKGROUND

2.1 NATIONAL LEGISLATION

Transposition of EU Directives

Slight juridical vacuum

2.2 EU LEGISLATION

EU directive on food supplements

Narrow focus forces products off the shelves

Highly contested limits

Challenge to the Directive

EU herbal regulations

2.3 ADVERTISING

This grey zone benefits advertising

Nonetheless HW specialists are not great above-the-line investors

2.4 SELF-MEDICATION AND PREVENTATIVE MEDICINE

Too many pharmacists and doctors and lack of deregulation hamper self-medication

Belgian Government not in favour of self-medication

Ethical manufacturers not encouraged to boost self-medication

Slight changes observed in 2005

2.5 ALTERNATIVE THERAPY

Homeopathy well-established thanks to lobbying and consumer loyalty

Other alternative therapies impacted by fashions

2.6 DIET PROGRAMMES

A favourable ground

Pertinent diversification for Weight Watchers

New indirect competitors

2.7 LOCAL PRODUCTS

Local products impacted by unfavourable context

Some Belgian players increasingly dynamic

2.8 RETAIL DISTRIBUTION

Pharmacists crucial in Belgium

Multiple retailers not really helped by widening distribution

Meal replacement products are the exception

Internet sales should not be overestimated despite some potential

3. VITAMINS AND DIETARY SUPPLEMENTS

3.1 SECTOR PERFORMANCE

2005 headlines

Surprising slowdown in 2005

The ambivalent impact of deregulation

Dietary supplements still outperform basic vitamins

Segmentation continues to pay off

Strong fragmentation of shares

Nonetheless, some specialists seem to emerge

Forecast performance

Table 1 Sales of Vitamins and Dietary Supplements by Sector: Value 2002-2005

Table 2 Sales of Vitamins and Dietary Supplements by Sector: % Value Growth 2002-2005

Table 3 Forecast Sales of Vitamins and Dietary Supplements by Sector: Value 2005-2010

Table 4 Forecast Sales of Vitamins and Dietary Supplements by Sector: % Value Growth 2005-2010

3.2 VITAMINS PERFORMANCE

2005 headlines

Slowdown became decline in vitamins

Multivitamins no longer growth drivers

Single vitamins basic and lacking visibility

Roche and Merck ahead of others

Table 5 Sales of Vitamins by Type: Value 2002-2005

Table 6 Sales of Vitamins by Type: % Value Growth 2002-2005

Table 7 Multivitamins Brand Rankings 2005

Table 8 Single Vitamins Brand Rankings 2005

3.3 DIETARY SUPPLEMENTS PERFORMANCE

2005 headlines

Still robust but disappointing growth in a deregulated environment

Surprising back seat for some supplements aimed at women

Table 9 Other Dietary Supplements: Combination Formula by Type 2003-2005

Skin care nutri-cosmetics still perform well

Media and fashions benefit some products

Other products suffer

Seniors also rank among best consumers

Other products fragmented and close to saturation

Similar fate for traditional minerals

Dietary supplement and herbal product manufacturers gain ground

Non-specialists suffer

Table 10 Sales of Dietary Supplements by Type: Value 2002-2005

Table 11 Sales of Dietary Supplements by Type: % Value Growth 2002-2005

Table 12 Calcium Supplements: Brand Rankings 2005

Table 13 Mineral Supplements: Brand Rankings 2005

Table 14 Cod Liver Oil: Brand Rankings 2005

Table 15 Other Fish Oils: Brand Rankings 2005

Table 16 Garlic: Brand Rankings 2005

Table 17 Ginseng: Brand Rankings 2005

Table 18 Ginkgo Biloba: Brand Rankings 2005

Table 19 Evening Primrose Oil: Brand Rankings 2005

Table 20 Echinacea: Brand Rankings 2005

Table 21 Protein Powder: Brand Rankings 2005

Table 22 Probiotic Supplements: Brand Rankings 2005

Table 23 Royal Jelly: Brand Rankings 2005

Table 24 Glucosamine: Brand Rankings 2005

Table 25 Other Dietary Supplements: Brand Rankings 2005

Table 26 Tonics and Bottled Nutritive Drinks: Brand Rankings 2005

Table 27 Child-specific Vitamins and Dietary Supplements: Brand Rankings 2005

3.4 NEW PRODUCT DEVELOPMENTS

Segmentation toward women and seniors often pays off

Lifecycles increasingly short

Summary 1 Vitamins and Dietary Supplements: New Product Launches 2004-2005

4. HERBAL/TRADITIONAL PRODUCTS

4.1 SECTOR PERFORMANCE

2005 headlines

Herbal products close to saturation

Decline in dietary supplements

Herbal products often set back from OTC healthcare products

Calming and sleeping products partly offset the bad performance of other products

Medicinal teas still decline with ageing of consumer base

Forecast performance

Table 28 Sales of Herbal/Traditional Products by Sector: Value 2002-2005

Table 29 Sales of Herbal/Traditional Products by Sector: % Value Growth 2002-2005

Table 30 Forecast Sales of Herbal/Traditional Products: Value 2005-2010

Table 31 Forecast Sales of Herbal/Traditional Products: % Value Growth 2005-2010

4.2 COMPANY AND BRAND ANALYSIS

Strong fragmentation of shares also impairs sector sales

Arkopharma the greatest specialist

Local players increasingly dynamic

Summary 2 Herbal/Traditional Products: Major Players 2004/2005

4.3 NEW PRODUCT DEVELOPMENTS

Innovations go unnoticed

Summary 3 Herbal/Traditional Products: New Product Launches 2004/2005

5. SLIMMING PRODUCTS

5.1 SECTOR PERFORMANCE

2005 headlines

Sudden backseat in 2005

Fault lies with surprising but temporary decline in supplements

Meal replacement products also slow down

Meal replacement products driven by sweet taste and convenience

Forecast performance

Table 32 Sales of Slimming Products by Sector: Value 2002-2005

Table 33 Sales of Slimming Products by Sector: % Value Growth 2002-2005

Table 34 Forecast Sales of Slimming Products: Value 2005-2010

Table 35 Forecast Sales of Slimming Products: % Value Growth 2005-2010

Table 36 Meal Replacement Slimming Products % Breakdown by Type 2004/2005

5.2 COMPANY AND BRAND ANALYSIS

Slimming supplements highly fragmented

Omega Pharma and Forte Pharma perform well

Arkopharma lost the leadership

Novartis becomes leader in meal replacement products

Increasingly dynamic players a threat

Summary 4 Slimming Products: Major Players 2004/2005

Table 37 Slimming Tablets: Brand Rankings 2005

Table 38 Slimming Teas: Brand Rankings 2005

Table 39 Meal Replacement Slimming Products: Brand Rankings 2005

Table 40 Other Slimming Products: Brand Rankings 2005

5.3 NEW PRODUCT DEVELOPMENTS

Consumers must have a feeling of constant movement

Convenience and sweet taste drive meal replacement products

Summary 5 Slimming Products: New Product Launches 2004/2005

6. DEFINITIONS