Nutrition News & Views

December 1, 1999
Trend in Sales of Dietary Supplements Analyzed by Consulting Group-December 1999/ No. 1

According to a recent analysis by the Hartman Group, a Bellevue, Washington research and consulting firm, more than $10 billion was spent during a one-year period ending in June 1999 on dietary supplements. The report, "Vitamins, Minerals, Herbs and Supplements: A Year in Review" outlines emerging trends in sales of dietary supplements.

The researchers found that vitamins and minerals accounted for 67% of total purchases and a 56% share of total dollar sales. The product in this category with the highest demand was multi-vitamins accounting for 36% of all purchases. After multi-vitamins came calcium, vitamin E, vitamin C, and children's vitamins.

The groups further found that in the herb and supplement category, garlic, ginkgo, and glucosamine accounted for the most total purchases, followed by St. John's wort and echinacea.

Also analyzed were the places where dietary supplements are sold. The biggest category, which included supermarkets, drug stores, mass merchandisers, club stores and convenience stores, accounted for the most sales with $4.7 billion. That was 45% of all sales. The next largest category was consumer direct outlets, and included catalogs, direct-from-manufacturer sales, the Internet, and infomercials, pulling together for a 32% share. The third category, health and natural food stores, had a 12% share. Practitioners and health maintenance organizations came next with 4% of total sales.

It is of interest to note that because the average price of dietary supplements sold in supermarkets is almost half the average price in the other categories, the supermarket category makes up less than half the total market share, even though the majority of purchases are made there. For example, the supermarket category averages $7.23 per container, whereas consumer direct outlets average $16.28, practitioners and HMOs average $15.40, and health food stores average $13.15.

Also of interest is the finding by the Hartman Group that the top geographic area for purchases of dietary supplements is the South Atlantic region, composed of Florida, Georgia, Virginia, Washington, D.C., Delaware, Maryland, North Carolina, South Carolina and West Virginia. They also noted that the mean age for those who used vitamins and minerals was 37 while the average age of herbal and other supplement users was 46. People taking herbals were more likely to be female when compared with people who took vitamins and minerals.

Looking at overall sales trends, the group found that purchases of dietary supplements were higher in summer and winter months. Vitamin and mineral sales tended to remain the same throughout the year when compared to herbal sales.

During the one-year period, prices of all dietary supplements decreased by $1.25 to give an average price of $9.21 in June 1999. Total sales in the supermarket category went up by $12.2 million, reaching a total of $114.2 million.

Source: eFOOD RAP by Rebecca Bryant, Extension Graduate Assistant and William D. Evers, Ph.D., R.D., Volume 9, Number 33, November 24, 1999.
Distributed by Barbara McLaurin, Ph.D., R.D., L.D., Human Nutrition Specialist, MSU Extension Service, November 1999

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