Dietary Supplements in Italy

PROSPECTS

Growing focus on long-term health and prevention drives growth

Dietary supplements benefited from consumers’ increasing concerns about maintaining long-term health. There is a growing health culture in Italy, with consumers believing that following a healthy lifestyle and diet combined with vitamins and dietary supplements can be effective in improving their health and wellbeing and to manage and prevent chronic ailments.

Growth to slow due to high penetration level

Dietary supplements’ growth is set to remain healthy over the forecast period, supported by the growing health culture focusing on prevention and the further ageing of the Italian population. Growth will continue to benefit from the scientific community recognising the role of dietary supplements, as well as from doctors and pharmacists encouraging their consumption alone or in combination with prescription or OTC medicines.

Demand for specific positioning increasingly impacts dietary supplements

Dietary supplements’ growth was driven by the demand for references with a need-specific positioning in Italy. There is an increasingly complex offering of dietary supplements available, as operators apply the permitted health claims to market their products for specific needs.

COMPETITIVE LANDSCAPE

Sanofi maintains lead, followed by dynamic herbal specialist Aboca

Dietary supplements remained highly fragmented in Italy, with Sanofi maintaining its leadership in 2018, due to its portfolio of brands, including the popular Enterogermina probiotic supplements. In 2018, Sanofi recorded moderate growth, mainly due to the modest performance by probiotic supplements, due to the high level of maturity reached in Italy.

Main brands set to benefit as Italy opens up to corporate ownership in pharmacies

Dietary supplements, together with herbal/traditional products, is among the most fragmented categories within consumer health in Italy, with over 40,000 references, according to industry sources. However, the competitive landscape is likely to be impacted, as Italy opened the door to corporate ownership of pharmacies in 2017.

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