Cough, Cold and Allergy (Hay Fever) Remedies in Germany

2020 IMPACT

Pandemic-linked precaution increases demand for cough, cold and allergy (hay fever) remedies in 2020

The emergence of COVID-19 in Germany has had a fairly positive effect on demand for cough, cold and allergy (hay fever) remedies in 2020 as consumers wanted to feel secure about being able to treat themselves at home when suffering from various cold and flu symptoms during the lockdown, which limited the need to visit a doctor. The initial months of lockdown saw a significant spike in purchases as consumers panicked, resulting in a notable stockpiling trend to hold a substantial ‘’health kit’’ which would allow them to treat any number of symptoms of illness at home.

Further uptake in antihistamines/allergy remedies despite greater time spent indoors

Antihistamines/allergy remedies continued to record strong growth in both volume and current value terms in 2020 in Germany, making it the most impressive performer within cough, cold and allergy (hay fever) remedies for another year. The percentage of the population claiming to struggle with allergies has been continually growing over the years in Germany, with an increasing number of consumers reporting that they suffer from respiratory allergies.

Leader Procter & Gamble GmbH continues to grow through its Wick brand

Gaining leadership of the category from MCM Klosterfrau Vertriebsgesellschaft mbH in 2019 (which offers leading nasal sprays brand Nasic, and Neo-Angin, the leading brand within pharyngeal preparations and which continued to gain value share in 2020), Procter & Gamble retained its position in cough, cold and allergy (hay fever) remedies, gaining further value share due to the performance of its umbrella brand Wick. The latter continues to benefit from a strong reputation and is regularly awarded as the ‘’most trusted brand’’ within the category.

RECOVERY AND OPPORTUNITIES

Stable performance predicted heading into the forecast period

Cough, cold and allergy (hay fever) remedies in Germany is already fairly mature and stable, driven typically by the severity of the winter and allergy seasons. Therefore, except for unusual demand which results in disruption such as the pandemic in 2020, going forward, sales are expected to continue to steadily grow, supported by a worsening climate crisis which has the potential to lead to greater extremes in weather conditions.

Herbal/traditional manufacturers benefit from trend towards natural products

German consumers have always been strongly focused on herbal/traditional remedies due to their strong connection to homoeopathy – outside the Euromonitor International coverage of consumer health. This trend towards natural remedies gained further momentum at the end of the review period – the healthy living trend in Germany is manifesting in consumers who are increasingly focused on maintaining healthy lifestyles and on prevention rather than cure.

Pandemic leads to a surge in e-commerce sales, a trend offering further potential for expansion

While health and beauty specialist retailers continued to dominate the distribution of cough, cold and allergy (hay fever) remedies, the pandemic strengthened an already positive trend towards sales through e-commerce. Historically, chemists/pharmacies are considered to offer consumers both the ability to obtain advice from pharmacists, as well as convenience due to close proximity when consumers want to purchase these products to gain immediate relief from their cold or flu symptoms.