Rx loss is natural health gain, as women's supplement sales rise

Drug Store News,  August 18, 2003  by Michael Johnsen

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With the entire supplement category trending upward by 4.2 percent, reaching a base of $113.4 million in drug for the 12 weeks ended June 22, a few specific ingredients are fueling much of that overall growth.

Ever since the negative stories on hormone replacement therapy and its potential link to cancer and heart disease began to emerge, interest in natural alternatives has spiked. In the wake of that, sales for women s health-related supplements, such as black cohosh root, are growing at a rate of 64.2 percent over that 12-week period, reaching a base of $2.2 million in drug. Of course, black cohosh sales could be in line for a serious challenge in the coming weeks, following the news last month that its use may increase cancer metastases in women with breast cancer.

Sales of multivitamins continue to climb, and part of that increase can be attributed to the Journal of the American Medical Association's recommendation that all adults supplement with a multivitamin. Although it's hard to imagine a lay consumer reading JAMA, the doctors they re consulting do, and some pharmacies are getting the word out through shelf-talker signage. Sales for the 12-week period reached $70.5 million, an increase of 9.1 percent.

Lutein, being touted as beneficial to the eyesd, is setting a lift from the efforts of vitamin powerhouses, such as Wyeth, which is promoting lutein as an important ingredient in Centrum. Lutein sales grew 23.5 percent to reach $1.2 million in drug stores during the period. Sales of the natural ingredient lycopene may have reached only $99,000 in drug stores, but that segment managed to grow more than 46.3 percent during that time. And similar to lutein, sales of lycopene should continue to grow, as such brands as Bayer One-A-Day do for that ingredient what Wyeth has done for lutein. One-A-Day Men's Health calls out lycopene right on the package. And Rexall Sundown--recently sold to NBTY by Royal Numico--introduced a lycopene SKU to its offerings at the National Association of Chain Drug Stores Marketplace show.

And as growth in this segment has been steady for years, people suffering from bone and joint discomfort are continuing to turn to glucosamine and chondroitin supplements. That segment grew sales 9.4 percent in those 12 weeks to reach $44.4 million.

Sales of dietary supplements
in the drug channel *

                                 $ sales
                               for the 12
                               week ended     % change vs.
                               June 22 **      a year ago

Total vitamins                    $201.1            6.1%
Multivitamins                       83.4            8.4
Adult multivitamins                 70.5            9.1
Minerals                            64.1           16.5
Letter vitamin                      53.6           -6.9
Calcium                             44.7           19.0
Vitamin E                           20.9          -14.6
Vitamin C                           13.3           -0.3
Vitamin B                            9.9           -0.7
Iron                                 9.4            0.9
Children multivitamins               7.6           11.5
Vitamin B complex                    6.5           -2.7
Antioxident                          3.2            4.5
Magnesium                            3.1           33.7
Vitamin A and D                      2.8           -6.4
Potassium                            2.4           87.2
Stress                               1.7          -11.3
Zinc                                 1.3           -1.6
Chromium                             1.0            4.3
Selenium                             1.0           -9.4

Total supplements                 $113.4           4.2%
Non-herbal                          76.3            8.3
Glucosamine and chondroitin         44.4            9.4
Herbal supplement                   37.2           -3.2
Essential fatty acid                 7.1           41.0
Coenzyme Q10                         6.3           18.5
Multiherbs                           6.0           49.9
Garlic                               4.0          -10.6
Sam-E                                3.6           38.1
Saw palmetto                         3.5            3.0
Soy                                  3.0           11.9
Ginkgo biloba                        2.9          -35.3
Amino acid                           2.8           -5.4
Echinacea                            2.6          -12.6
Melatonin                            2.4           -6.2
Black cohosh root                    2.2           64.2
Probiotic/acidophilus                2.1           -2.1
Ginseng                              1.9          -27.0
Cranberry                            1.8            4.6
St. John's wort                      1.3          -28.0
Lutein                               1.2           23.5
Gelatin                              1.1           -3.0
Glucose                              1.0          -14.1

* Includes only those supplements that generated $1 million
in sales over the 12-week period.

** All sales in millions.

Source: Information Resources Inc.

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