Immunity Spray Touts US Consumers’ Immunity Health Focus; Category Sales Jump On Amazon
Source : 'HBW Insight'
Concerns about immune system during the COVID-19 pandemic prompted 40% of 2,474 US consumers contacted in a recent survey to start using immunity-supporting vitamins or supplements as sales for the category, according to a separate study, jumped 165% on Amazon.com from 2019 to 2020.
A survey oral care product brand TheraBreath commissioned by YouGov PLC also found that in the past year, 43% of parents gave immunity products to their children. Vitamin C was the respondents’ most-trusted ingredient for boosting immunity health at 65%, said the brand owned by Los Angeles-based Dr. Harold Katz LLC.
The company, which markets TheraBreath mouthwashes, toothpaste lozenges and supplements, said respondents also stated preferences for other immunity nutrients: zinc 41%; elderberry 26%; and copper 1%.
THERABREATH's oral spray FORMULATED WITH ELDERBERRY marketed for THE GENERAL POPULATION is Among the few immunity boosting sprays for children available in the Us.
All of the respondents YouGov contacted for Therabreath who said they took vitamins or supplements had started using the products during the past year, immunity as well as other categories.
The survey also identified an opportunity for immunity products in spray format, which appeal to some consumers who give their children immunity supplements.
Of all the respondents, 544 were parents of children under 18; 75% of them said giving their children an immunity-supporting flavored spray would be “easier or about the same” as giving their child the same nutrients in a pill.
Additionally, 25% of parents said a spray would be “much easier than a pill” and 21% of parents said it would be “somewhat easier” than a pill.
Among the few immunity boosting sprays for children available is one TheraBreath markets for the general population and formulated with elderberry.
Most major vitamin brands in the US are marketing immunity supplements for children, including Johnson & Johnson’s Zarbee’s, Church & Dwight Co. Inc.’s L’il Critters and Unilever PLC’s Smarty Pants.
The entire immunity support segment saw massive growth in the past two years, as demonstrated by sales on Amazon Inc.’s e-commerce platform.
Sales of immunity supplements on the site increase 165% from 2019 to 2020 to $623m, according to retail analytics company ClearCut Intelligence. Consumer response to the COVID-19 pandemic was the primary driver of the increase.
In a recent blog on its website, ClearCut, which says it provides a holistic and real-time view of Amazon sales, noted immune support supplements saw a “very sharp increase” during the initial months of the pandemic, but the momentum tapered off in the summer.
However, after a “low point” in August, the segment has seen month-over-month increases, with category revenue for December 2020 more than 2.5 times that of December 2019.
The nutrient with the highest market share among immune health supplements was vitamin with growth of 155%, according to the Chicago-based firm.
ClearCut also found total market share diminished slightly for the top 10 firms in the immune health segment, dropping from 42% to just below 41%. “The distribution of revenue within the category stayed relatively steady, with 38 brands having more than half a percent in market share (compared to 40 in 2019,” ClearCut said.
Capsules remained the top-selling delivery format. Their sales growth is overshadowed, though, by gummies and tablets, which saw 206% sand 212% growth year over year, respectively, the company noted.
During a February webinar on trends in supplement sales during the pandemic, DuPont Nutrition & Biosciences reported that tablets and capsules remain the most popular form of all vitamins/supplements, though gummies sales are growing the quickest, soaring 52% in 2020 as consumers enjoy the taste and consistency of the products versus other forms. ()
By Eileen Francis