Sports Nutrition in Finland

PROSPECTS

Some maturity entering sports nutrition but sports non-protein products continue to offer potential

Sports nutrition continued to record a positive performance in 2019, driven by the more dynamic performance of protein/energy bars which offer a wide range of consumers an on-the-go nutritional protein-enriched snack. The trend for protein as part of a healthy diet has been present in Finland for many years, not only amongst bodybuilders and athletes, but amongst the general population.

Sports protein RTD appreciated for convenient format

Sports protein RTD still holds some potential for growth as there is ongoing migration away from sports protein powder as consumers seek the convenience of on-the-go products. Players must be willing to invest further in offering interesting and appetising flavours or offer added BCAA for instance, such as the innovative Tahto brand which continues to record a strong performance with its protein shake BCAA products that come in local flavours such as Blueberry-Vanilla.

Players continue to launch innovative protein/energy bars

Players continue to invest in protein/energy bars as one of the more dynamic categories within sports nutrition, particularly as it continues to benefit from the widest distribution. BareBar is an energy bar that only uses raw ingredients such as fruits, nuts and berries and therefore emphasises its healthy positioning with natural sweeteners such as agave nectar.

COMPETITIVE LANDSCAPE

New brands continue to enter sports nutrition and gain share from leaders

The fragmented competitive landscape of sports nutrition continued to be led by local players Func Food Finland Oy and Leader Foods Oy, which offer their brands Fast and Leader, respectively. These players originally benefited from being the first in sports nutrition to enter the largest distribution channel of grocery retailers.

Intense competition within sports protein RTD with new launches

Sports protein RTD continued to experience intense competition in 2019. In an attempt to halt the migration of consumers towards newer brands, Leader launched an entirely new sports protein RTD series with innovative flavours such as mandarin-lime, and grapefruit, under the names Protein 20, Recovery and Calories, which are all made with domestic spring water and flavoured with fruit.

Crossover between markets could widen brand recognition for protein products

With distribution starting to switch in the favour of internet retailing from modern grocery retailers, players need to find good distribution for their sports nutrition brands due to the highly fragmented nature of the category, must find the best way to effectively market their products and target the correct audience. However, many companies are expanding their selections and moving into packaged food with their sports protein products.

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