Vitamins in the US

PROSPECTS

A focus on health and wellness rather than treatment

US consumers continue to adopt (or aspire to adopt) healthier lifestyles, whilst shifting their focus from treatment to prevention. This trend is increasingly driven by rising healthcare costs and consumers being more interested in health and wellness in the long term.

Demand for bone health and energy support

Vitamin K saw significant growth in 2017, driven by more research showing a link between vitamin K and bone health. Moreover, vitamin B continued to account for a high share of value sales of single vitamins, with B-Complex (a combination of eight essential vitamins, thiamine, riboflavin, niacin, B6, folic acid, biotin, pantothenic acid and B12) more demanded as a group of vitamins that promotes energy and vitality.

Opportunities amongst older consumers

A study published in October 2017 by The Journal of Nutrition showed that 70% of people in the US who were aged 60 or over used at least one type of vitamin or supplement. Whilst other studies have shown how some vitamins can even be harmful, demand continues to grow in the US, and the older population offers the most opportunities, driven by their strong loyalty to vitamins and the fast growth of this consumer segment.

COMPETITIVE LANDSCAPE

The Nature's Bounty Co is a leading player

Vitamins remained a very fragmented category in 2018, with no single company registering a double-digit value share. One of the leading players in vitamins in the US is The Nature's Bounty Co, which carries brands such as Nature’s Bounty, Ester-C, Puritan's Pride, Vitamin World and Solgar, amongst others.

Mobile commerce via social media platforms is becoming crucial

With internet retailing growing at the fastest pace in terms of distribution, more companies within vitamins are trying to reach consumers not only via traditional marketing campaigns, but more importantly with seamless experiences via social media using platforms such as Instagram, Facebook and Snapchat. In this scenario, mobile commerce continues to grow in tandem with the Gen Z and millennial generations.

Innovation in terms of formats

US consumers continue to demand single vitamins and multivitamins; however, they are getting tired of the traditional pill format. Pill fatigue has been one of the key drivers of innovation in this category, with more launches in gummy and liquid formats throughout 2018.

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