Dietary supplements are a booming industry, so much so that the 2017 CRN Consumer Survey on Dietary Supplements found that 76 percent of American adults reported having taken a dietary supplement recently.
That’s millions of Americans that could be potential customers for your eCommerce or brick-and-mortar supplement store. Selling more dietary supplements, though, relies on understanding what’s driving consumers to purchase them in the first place.
Dietary Supplements are Trusted and in Demand
The same CRN study found that 87 percent of adults believe that supplements are safe and effective, a sentiment that’s definitely having an impact on dietary supplement usage. But that’s not the whole picture. In fact, it’s only the beginning of the story.
CRN found some predictable, but not wholly obvious, reasons for the increase in supplement demand, including:
- Improving overall health and wellness. People want to be at their best, even if it means taking some kind of supplement. Over 56 percent of participants in the CRN study said they take a multivitamin daily, and 46 percent cited health and wellness as their reason for taking supplements. It’s easy to make the leap to assume that many of these consumers are working on preventative measures to protect their future health.
- Filling nutrient gaps and increasing energy. Americans don’t always have the best diets, so it’s probably good that 30 percent of those surveyed admitted to taking supplements to fill the gaps in their diets. Another 28 percent said they took supplements for energy, which could be related to those nutrient gaps.
- Providing specific disease support. Participants were asked about immune health, bone health and heart health, and each was the reason for 24, 23 and 22 percent, respectively, of consumers’ use of supplements. Specific disease and niche demographic support seem to be emerging markets for supplements.
- Ensuring healthy aging. Growing old is an inescapable fact, but consumers don’t have to go quietly into that good night. Of those surveyed, 21 percent cited this as their reason for supplement use. If they have to get older, they’re going to do it on their own terms, supporting their activity levels and protecting their health as well as possible.
The current climate of the dietary supplement market seems to indicate that the best segments for supplement marketing are women, especially when related to fertility and pregnancy, aging populations who are concerned about long term brain health as well as those who benefit from digestive support like probiotics.
To capture these customer bases, you’re going to need to have a reliable supplement fulfillment and distribution center, preferably one that’s cGMP compliant. This ensures that your supplements are handled carefully and according to all FDA guidelines. Your customers will thank you with their long-term loyalty.
