Weight Management and Wellbeing in Estonia

2021 DEVELOPMENTS

Low sales base as exercise and healthy diet are preferred

Although available in Estonia, weight management products continue to have a low base as they are not the first choice of consumers to tackle their weight problems as the main advice from both doctors and dieticians is a combination of sports and a healthy diet. The Estonian government has been promoting healthier lifestyles over the review period, trying to motivate people to eat more fruit and vegetables and decrease alcohol consumption.

Meal replacement increasingly available

Meal replacement is the largest and fastest growing category in Estonia in 2021 as the products, such as snack bars, are present in modern retail outlets and are usually positioned next to sports nutrition products. Meal replacement products also benefit from becoming more accessible to the public each year; the growing numbers of e-commerce channels were among the major contributors to the development of this category at the end of the review period.

Direct selling heavyweight Herbalife Nutrition maintains its lead

The direct selling heavyweight Herbalife Nutrition is the most well-known weight management brand in Estonia. With activity starting back in 1990s, this brand is still present across the country with a base of loyal customers.

PROSPECTS AND OPPORTUNITIES

No bright future as consumers continue to focus on sports and diets

Consumers are expected to further concentrate on a combination of sports and eating a balanced diet in order to lose weight and get in shape. As a result, weight management and wellbeing is not perceived as a category with a bright future in Estonia.

Potential of convenient formats in meal replacement

Depending on the future activities of retailers and manufacturers, some forms of meal replacement may enhance their presence in the market over the forecast period. These will mostly be in the form of snacks that can be easily consumed on-the-go, such as snack bars.

Healthy competition is set to stimulate weight loss supplements

The number of producers of dietary supplements is likely to continue influencing weight management and wellbeing over the forecast period, as many of these distributors are also offering weight loss supplements in their assortment. Distributors of sports nutrition are also likely to further expand into weight management supplements, with the new launches predicted to come under strong brands given their cross-category operations, which could pressure international names further.