Herbal Dietary Supplement Retail Sales Up 4.5% in 2011
Herb Market Report Shows Increased Sales of Herbs for 8th Consecutive
Year
(AUSTIN,
Texas, September 4, 2012)
Sales of
herbal dietary supplements in the United States increased by 4.5% in
2011, reaching a total estimated figure of nearly $5.3 billion (USD). The
statistics are conclusions of a new report
published in the current issue of HerbalGram,
the nonprofit American Botanical Council’s (ABC) peer-reviewed quarterly
journal. Sales in the mainstream market channel (e.g., drugstores, etc.) continued to grow,
increasing almost 3% over 2010 sales while sales in natural food stores rose by
a strong 5.5%.
“These sales
data indicate continued strong consumer demand for herbs and other natural
plant-derived ingredients as an essential part of their self-care,” said HerbalGram Editor and
ABC Founder and Executive Director Mark Blumenthal. “What is even more
remarkable,” he added, “is that herbal supplement sales grew while the economy
is still considered in recession, a sign of how highly American consumers value
these safe, low-cost materials.”
The HerbalGram report is
based on herb supplement sales statistics from the Nutrition Business Journal (NBJ) and market research
firms SymphonyIRI, and SPINSscan Natural.
NBJ, a publication of
New Hope Natural Media in Boulder, Colorado, estimated the total herb
supplement sales figures for 2011, discussed above, based on data derived from
market research firms, company surveys, interviews with major retailers and
industry experts, and various published and unpublished secondary material.
SymphonyIRI,
a Chicago-based market research firm, determined herb supplement sales in the
mainstream market channel (e.g.,
food stores, drug stores, and mass-market retail outlets) as being $379,286,600
for 2011, an increase of 6.9% over the previous year. SymphonyIRI’s figure
includes grocery stores, drugstores, and mass-market retailers, but it does not
include Wal-Mart, Sam’s Club, other large warehouse buying clubs, or
convenience stores.
SPINS,
a Schaumburg, Illinois-based market research firm, found sales of
botanical dietary supplements in the natural and health foods channel to be
$251,212,449, an increase of 9% over 2011 sales in this channel. SPINS’ figure
does not include sales from the natural foods store Whole Foods Market.
The 5
top-selling herbal supplements of 2011 in the health and natural foods channel,
according to SPINS, were flaxseed oil (Linum
usitatissimum), grass (wheat and barley; Triticum aestivum and Hordeum vulgare), turmeric
(Curcuma longa),
aloe (Aloe vera),
and milk thistle (Silybum
marianum). The top-selling herbal singles of 2011 in the food,
drug, and mass-market channel, according to SymphonyIRI, were cranberry (Vaccinium macrocarpon),
soy (Glycine max),
saw palmetto (Serenoa
repens), garlic (Allium
sativum), and ginkgo (Ginkgo
biloba) leaf extract. Natural foods channel rankings may include
some combination herbal products, as SPINS codes sales by primary ingredient.
The HerbalGram report
comprises multiple tables illustrating herbal supplement sales, including, for
the first time, a table of the 40 top-selling herbal supplements in the
mainstream channel as determined by SymphonyIRI (where HerbalGram has
traditionally published the top 20), and a table of the 20 top-selling
botanical supplements in the natural and health foods channel as determined by
SPINS. The top-selling herbal supplements in each channel are different, both
due to different tastes and values of shoppers in health and natural foods
stores versus those in mainstream stores, and because SymphonyIRI and SPINS do
not include the same herbal supplements in their data sets.
In addition
to the mainstream market and the natural and health foods channel, herbal
dietary supplements are sold in the United States through mail order catalogs
and Internet sites, radio and television direct sales outlets, network
marketing firms that sell directly to the consumer, health professionals who
sell supplements from their offices, and various other channels.
HerbalGram is available at some bookstores and natural
food stores and is mailed to members of ABC. The annual HerbalGram Herb Market
Report article is posted on the ABC website, accessible here.