The complexity of the COVID-19 pandemic has prompted consumers to reassess the health levels of various aspects of their lifestyles and refocus on health topics. Against this backdrop, over 60% of consumers globally indicated plans to improve their overall health in the next 12 months.
 

As people increasingly focus on the fundamental elements that affect health, today's consumers are more eager than ever to make positive lifestyle changes and cultivate new health habits. At the same time, consumers are actively seeking functional solutions to support their overall physical and mental health goals, including incorporating nutritional supplements into their daily wellness routines.
 
In 2021, the globaldietary supplementsmarket had a total revenue of $76 billion, and it is expected to achieve a compound annual growth rate of 2.4% from 2021 to 2026.
 

So, how can we attract and retain future dietary supplement consumers? In this article, ADM shares some important motivations of consumers and analyzes key business opportunities in the dietary supplement sector, aiming to help partners develop new products and retain consumers.
 
79% of American consumers believe that taking nutritional supplements is important for their overall health.
67% of nutritional supplement users globally indicated that they will continue to use nutritional supplements in the next 12 months.
49% of nutritional supplement users expressed willingness to increase their spending on nutritional supplements.

01 Personalized Solutions

Consumers are actively seeking solutions that can meet their specific health needs. Since each consumer has different health foundations and life experiences, their definitions of health also vary. However, a commonality is that they all place greater importance on the concept of overall health. In the dietary supplement submarket, the fastest-growing segments include products that support stress, mood, and sleep, all of which are key factors in emotional health and are related to overall health.

In fact, 76% of consumers globally reported that they are aware of the connection between cognitive health and overall health. Additionally, 51% of consumers globally plan to improve their cognitive or mental health status in the next 12 months. Therefore, dietary supplements that help restore sleep, stabilize mood, regulate immune function,weight managementand skin health will increasingly be favored by consumers.
 

55% of consumers globally seek health claims that suit their personal needs.
Up to 75% of American dietary supplement users are looking for personalized products that directly meet their needs.
59% of consumers globally find the proposition of nutritional gene testing very appealing; among them, 64% are willing to try nutritional gene testing.
73% of consumers globally (up from 54% in 2018) reported feeling stressed, and 72% (up from 50% in 2018) reported having sleep difficulties.
53% of consumers globally experiencing high or extreme stress reported that they still often feel fatigued when they wake up.
 

The primary health issues that global nutritional supplement users hope to address with supplements.
66%immunity
57% energy
54% cognitive & mental health
50% heart health
49% digestive health

02 Flexible and Convenient Forms

Consumer experience is a key factor influencing purchasing behavior and brand loyalty. Health product target consumers hope for a variety of forms that suit their lifestyles, are convenient, easy to take, and tasty. To this end, manufacturers are actively launching a diverse range of product forms to attract different age groups, from children to the elderly.

For example, 43% of non-dietary supplement consumers find swallowing tablets and capsules very difficult.

Additionally, 33% of dietary supplement consumers globally find it very inconvenient to take supplements on time. Innovative and convenient forms can help them overcome these challenges, such as health-enhanced beverages, sparkling water, gummies, chewing gum, powders, drop strips, and packets.
 
1 in 4 dietary supplement users globally hopes to see nutritional supplements in different forms.
54% of nutritional supplement users globally prefer supplements that can provide multiple benefits in the same product.
39% of consumers globally believe that ease of consumption of nutritional supplements is important.
66% of nutritional supplement users globally use capsules and tablets, followed by gummies and soft candies (27%).
 
The compound annual growth rate of new dietary supplement launches from 2016 to 2020.
20.2% chewable tablets/gummies
10.9% tablets
8.6% powders
6.7% liquids
6.7% lozenges
Source: Mintel GNPD, 2016-2020

03 Clean Labels and Sustainability
 

Today's consumers are increasingly concerned about the environment and sustainability, and they seek brands with similar values and practices when purchasing products. Adhering to the philosophy of 'beneficial for me and beneficial for the planet,' many consumers prefer to choose products with clear and transparent ingredients that are sustainably certified. Although there is no unified definition of clean labels, research shows that 76% of dietary supplement consumers globally prioritize products that are 100% natural or free from artificial ingredients. Therefore, suppliers focused on sustainably sourced ingredients can help product developers gain an advantage in this trend. Additionally, 70% of consumers globally reported that they are more focused on claims of natural ingredients after the COVID-19 pandemic. Therefore, health products based on plant or functional extracts that are closer tonatural ingredientswill encounter vast market opportunities.
 

49% of non-dietary supplement users are concerned about artificial ingredient content.
43% of global nutritional supplement users believe that plant ingredients are important to their purchasing decisions.
40% of global consumers consider natural ingredients important.
 
One in three American supplement users looks for the benefits of clean labels when purchasing dietary supplements.
33% of users prefer supplements from natural sources.
33% of users want supplements to be free from allergens.
32% of users look for health products that do not contain preservatives.
32% of users say that avoiding artificial colors and flavors is very important.

Annual compound growth rate of new dietary supplement launches by product claims, 2016-2020.
34.6% plant-based.
10.0% organic.
53.8% free from/additional artificial additives/artificial flavors/artificial colors/artificial preservatives, etc.
Source: Mintel GNPD, 2016-2020

04 Proactive health approach.
 

Consumers are seeking health products with functional ingredients that are more natural to support and address their health issues. When purchasing dietary supplements, 59% of consumers globally want to see scientific evidence proving the product's effectiveness. Only supplements that combine safety and efficacy can attract consumers and gain their trust. More and more consumers want to see and understand the safety claims of products and the related research behind them when purchasing dietary supplements.
 

In fact, 50% of global consumers consider product safety claims very important.

Additionally, 73% of dietary supplement consumers globally say that clinically proven efficacy is also significant. Therefore, dietary supplement products backed by in vivo trials, preclinical and clinical research, while complying with regulatory requirements, will stand out in the market.
 

75% of global consumers are making greater efforts to stay healthy due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
61% of global nutritional supplement users take supplements to improve their overall health.
55% of global consumers are looking for active ingredients they recognize.
One in four people globally takes dietary supplements daily or almost daily.

05 Functionality and enjoyment combined.

Just like everyday food and beverages, people hope that dietary supplements can also provide a wonderful experience. In addition to having functional nutritional benefits, consumers want dietary supplements to be convenient and tasty. In many cases, consumers choose products that are both delicious and nutritionally functional to gain more 'mindful' enjoyment.
 
In fact, 64% of global consumers believe that mindful enjoyment can be part of a healthy diet.
 

This concept of 'purposeful enjoyment' presents great opportunities for the nutritional supplement market, as 58% of global consumers say that nutritional supplements also need to be 'tasty.'
 
Given consumers' dual demand for taste and nutritional functionality, dietary supplements and functional foods are beginning to further integrate. Formulation designers can attract new dietary supplement consumers by creating products that combine functionality, taste, and enjoyment. In addition to gummies, which have long been a major product form, many brands are also exploring other candy forms, such as chocolate and gum. By adding scientifically supported functional ingredients like prebiotics, probiotics, postbiotics, plants, and plant extracts, products can gain additional functional benefits. Furthermore, enhancing these nutritional functional ingredients with appealing colors and flavors can improve consumers' dietary supplement experience, making it not just a daily routine but an enjoyable activity.
 

63% of dietary supplement users believe that the taste of supplements can be improved.
41% of existing dietary supplement users are exploring new flavors of different types of supplements.
 
Make full use of flavors and colors that consumers easily associate with certain functions.
 
Dietary supplements that support immune function.
Flavors: citrus, berry.
Colors: orange, yellow, red.
 
Dietary supplements that relax the body and mind and support sleep.
Flavors: lavender, chamomile.
Colors: purple, blue.
 
Dietary supplements that support brain/cognitive health.
Flavors: tea, mint.
Colors: green, orange.
 

References:

[1] FMCG Gurus, Exploring the Impact of Nutritional Supplements, September 2020.
[2] Euromonitor International, World Category Dynamic 2021.
[3] Natural Marketing Institute, U.S. Supplements/OTC/Rx Database Report 2020.
[4] FMCG Gurus, Assessing the Importance of Cognitive Health, 2021.
[5] FMCG Gurus, How Has COVID-19 Changed Consumer Behavior, March 2021.
[6] FMCG Gurus, Personalized Nutrition: New Opportunities When Targeting Health-Conscious Consumers, February 2021.
[7] FMCG Gurus, Sleep and Stress Management Global Report, January 2021.
[8] Euromonitor International, Health and Nutrition Survey, fielded January to February 2020.
[9] FMCG Gurus, Top Ten Trends for 2021, January 2021.
[10] ADM Outside Voice℠, September 2021.

Source: ADM, reprinted with permission.