Weight Management and Wellbeing in the Netherlands

PROSPECTS

Declining demand for weight management and wellbeing dragged down by outdated perception of some products

Weight management and wellbeing recorded low marginal current value growth in 2019, driven by the largest category of meal replacement. The latter also recorded the lowest decline in volume terms compared to slimming teas and weight loss supplements, with stronger demand for non-shake products which are perceived as offering more attractive products in terms of flavour and texture.

Wellbeing trend offsets declining demand for weight loss solutions

While many Dutch consumers are turning to alternative methods of achieve long-term weight loss rather than quick fix solutions such as weight loss supplements, a growing number of younger consumers in the Netherlands are purchasing meal bars and meal shakes for wellbeing purposes. Time-pressed young professionals in particular are more likely to purchase a meal shake due to their hectic lifestyles, as these products offer them a convenient solution that combines a number of nutrients into one easy to consume product.

Internet retailing continues to strengthen position as leading distribution channel

Internet retailing and direct selling are the largest distribution channels for weight management and wellbeing in the Netherlands with the latter supported by the presence of Herbalife International. However, while direct selling continued to lose share, healthfood shops, drugstores/parapharmacies (supported by the increasing presence of private label lines such as Kruidvat) and supermarkets offered alternative channels of distribution to consumers.

COMPETITIVE LANDSCAPE

Leading traditional players continue to lose ground to smaller dynamic brands

Weight management and wellbeing continued to be led by well-known traditional players in 2019 such as direct selling company Herbalife International Netherlands BV which offers leading meal replacement brand Herbalife Nutrition and weight loss supplements Herbalife Thermojetics, and Nutrition & Santé Benelux SA, which offers meal replacement brands Weight Care and Modifast. However, both players continued to decline in value terms and lose value share to smaller more dynamic players that have strongly emerged over the review period, moving away from the outdated traditional shakes and powered meal replacement formats.

Atkins Nutritionals is only major player to record positive performance due to protein-based brand

Fourth-ranked Atkins Nutritionals Inc was one of the few major companies to perform well within meal replacement in 2019. The company offers a wide range of different products within the category including pasta, crackers, wraps and bread.

Despite poor performance of weight loss supplements, smaller brands record positive growth

The leading player in weight loss supplements, Omega Pharma Nederland BV, continued to record declining value sales in line with the overall performance of the category in addition to losing share to smaller competitors in 2019. The player offers the well-known brand XL-S Medical but has reduced its investment in marketing and promoting the product compared to the middle of the review period.

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