Vitamins in Japan

PROSPECTS

Vitamin C benefits from skin care association, but trend expected to be short-lived

Vitamin C remained by far the largest area of single vitamins at the end of the review period, with the category seeing growth constrained by its relative maturity and the general consumer preference for multivitamins. Moreover, vitamin C, like vitamin E, is often included in other dietary supplements, drinks and foods.

Multivitamins’ range of benefits helps it to outperform single vitamins

Multivitamins continued to outperform single vitamins in current value terms in 2019, thanks to the convenience of taking various types of nutrition at once. During the forecast period, multivitamins will continue to have an advantage over single vitamins, with consumers perceiving such products to offer efficient nutritional intake and comprehensive efficacy.

Private labels gaining share in vitamins

Private labels maintained a trend of share growth in vitamins in 2019. Leading drugstore retailer, Matsumoto Kiyoshi, is notably active in introducing private label products under its supplement line, matsukiyo LAB, which is helping to create momentum in the market.

COMPETITIVE LANDSCAPE

Amway retains the lead, while Takeda’s OTC presence proves disadvantageous

Amway remained the largest player in vitamins in Japan in 2019, having regained the lead from Takeda Pharmaceutical in the previous year. With a presence in both OTC medicines and multivitamins, Takeda continued to lose share to rivals with a more specialised positioning at the end of the review period.

Functional foods represent a growing threat

Food and drink products with functional claims are becoming a growing threat to vitamins players. In 2019, for example, House Wellness Foods launched C1000 Vitamin Lemon citric acid, which received approval to make the claim that it relieves fatigue on its product labelling.

Gummy formats help to differentiate vitamins from medication

Some consumers perceive vitamins to be medication. Consequently, they have been deterred from taking such products because of more general concerns about the potentially harmful effects of taking medication, particularly over a long period.

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