Vitamins and dietary supplements remain a booming sector with ever more finely tuned products. Many are geared towards the needs of specific socio-demographic groups while others are marketed on the back of particular health-related claims. Mintel’s Amanda White talks us through the new vitamins and supplements that hit the shelves around the world in 2001.
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The Vitamins & Dietary Supplements category has shown some volatility in recent years, with a fall in new product activity during 1999 being reversed in 2000. A number of trends have become more consolidated during that time, such as supplements that are targeted at specific age groups and products that carry names that clearly convey the supplement’s benefit, while others have been subject to controversy, notably herbals/botanicals.
Mintel’s Global New Products Database (GNPD) finds by far the most active segment in the vitamin & dietary market is the vitamins & dietary supplements sector, which accounts for more than 50% of the category’s total NPD activity. Packaged Medications and First Aid & Other Health Products sectors, each account for about 25% of the category, each having experienced a steady growth in new product development.
New product launch activity highlights that after the NPD boom of 1997-98 – which Mintel attributes mainly to the number of herbal dietary supplements which appear on the shelves during that time – launch activity slowed considerably during 1999.
This trend, however, subsequently reversed with global launch levels peaking at 1809 in 2000 – mirroring recent trends that triggered NPD in some areas (for example, niche supplements with indirect health claims). At last count, figures for 2001 suggest a slowdown in new product launches.
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By GlobalDataIn terms of new product launches versus new variety/range extensions, it appears that, after a rise in genuine new product introductions in 2000, with more than three times more new products than line extensions, the picture is now again turning in favour of line extensions.
The Vitamin & Dietary supplements category is following the path previously taken by many over the counter (OTC) medicines, with an expansion of the range of formats available, including gel capsules, chewable tablets, effervescent lozenges, sprays and flavoured variants. Most supplements, however, come in tablet or capsule form, with growth in liquid capsules and chewable products. The latter tends to be flavoured and is hence more palatable than other supplements. Recent examples include:
Bayer’s extension of its Pluravit range of supplement products in Australia. These include the spring 2001 introduction of Executive Performance – a herbal blend of 60 soft gel capsules containing guarana and ginkgo said to help people with busy work schedules perform in peak condition. We also saw the launch of Menopause Health, a natural product containing soyabean, ‘black cohosh’ and calcium to help maintain the health and well-being of menopausal women, each bottle containing 30 soft gel capsules. Finally, Bayer launched Women Plus Soy a complete multivitamin-multimineral supplement with extra calcium, iron, ginseng and natural soy. Glass bottles contain 60 soft gel capsules.
Again spring 2001 saw the launch of Indros’ RSI C@re in the Netherlands. Launched under the Vitelle brand this supplement aims to enhance the flexibility of joints. Sixty soft gel capsules are packaged in six blister cards within a paperboard box.
In South Africa, during the summer of 2001, Group Laboratories launched under the Med-Lemon brand, Natural Defence, zinc & vitamin C fruit flavoured chewable tablets to help build-up the body’s resistance to colds & flu. Paperboard boxes contain 24 tablets which are colorant- and preservative-free.
Summer 2001 saw Peter Black Healthcare extending its Healthcrafts Echinacea range with the UK introduction of a concentrated dissolving form of the supplement. Said to be aimed at busy people who want to look after their immune system, there are 20 tablets packaged in a plastic tube.
During the spring of 2001, Always Young introduced Advanced Oral Growth Hormone Spray. This homeopathic product contains HGH, an anti-aging agent that is claimed to increase energy, strength, and stamina, reduce fat, build lean muscle and improve memory. It retails in a 1-fl. oz. plastic spray bottle.
Finally, the last quarter of 2001 saw the US extension of Target’s Soft Calcium Chews Calcium Supplement. Available in chocolate flavour, these chewy supplements aim to strengthen bones.
In terms of positioning, Mintel sees two major trends in Vitamin & Dietary supplements: firstly there are products that are geared at socio-demographic groups; and secondly supplements that are marketed on the back of particular health-related claims.
Mintel’s GNPD has recorded several vitamins and supplements product launches that are niche ranges from smaller specialist companies which address certain age groups. We see products that are especially formulated for children, woman and men – the main target group, however, is ageing consumers and their specific health concerns. The reason for that is twofold: firstly, older people represent the age group that is most attracted to supplement products; and secondly, the over 50-year-olds account for a large and increasing percentage of the population in a range of key markets globally. Recent age-specific new product launches include:
Summer 2001 saw the US launch of Meijer’s Super Kids, a fruit punch flavour chewable dietary supplement. These supplements are targeted at children from the ages of two and upwards.
For children of approximately five to 12 years, Vita.mine in Germany launched multivitamin tablets in four flavours: raspberry, strawberry, lemon and orange. Launched in the summer of 2001, boxes contain a pack of the Digimon cartoon collection.
Geared at adults over 50 is Central-Vite, a multivitamin and multi-mineral supplement , which was launched in the US during the early summer of 2001 . Around the same time NutraMax launched Senior Moment in the US, a product that is positioned as an aid to help improve the memory of senior people.
In the last quarter of 2001, Chefaro International launched a range of vitamins and supplements designed for women. Products include: Femnatal, suitable for women who are either planning for pregnancy, or are already pregnant; Femfit, a combination of vitamins E, D, C and B complex with evening primrose and coenzyme Q10; Fembones, with calcium and vitamin D and K; and Fembalance, a food supplement with vitamin E and evening primrose.
By contrast, during the Spring of 2001, Vitality launched All-Man in South Africa, multi-vitamin & mineral capsules for men, formulated with ginseng.
By Amanda White, Mintel
