A Look Ahead in Wellness
Content provided by Naturally Austin partner NielsenIQ
COVID-19 accelerated existing trends around health and sustainability while jump-starting new ones, and companies that can adapt to shifting buyer needs will grow the most rapidly. In today’s post, Naturally Austin’s partner NielsenIQ Byzzer shares the inside scoop on market trends fueling rising sales in the space—news you can use to grow your market share.
More Consumers are Testing out Plant-Based Products
With 45% of growth in the plant-based space coming from emerging brands, this attribute represents a golden opportunity for small brands to enter the market or accelerate growth. Consumers are increasingly foregoing fad diets in favor of sustainable, longer-term consumption choices to achieve better health.
For example, NielsenIQ Product Insight indicates a 17% dollar sales growth in vegan products, but only 2% of Americans fully adhere to the diet. Shoppers are borrowing the benefits of vegan eating without making the switch completely. Search volume for “sugar-free” and “low-carb” are also on the rise, indicating a similar “borrowing” trend with keto diets.Greater Demand for Mental Wellness Support Through Food
The prolonged period of uncertainty over the past several years underscored the importance of reducing stress and anxiety. As a result, focusing on improving sleep and mental health has become a major part of wellness. A recent NielsenIQ Global Pulse Survey showed that 56% of US consumers consider mental health to be more important for them.
Many consumers are turning to products across the store to meet their needs, with online product searches for anxiety support rising 38%, searches for mood and stress health up 24%, and searches for sleep support increasing 37%.More Focus on Natural Ingredients and Environmental Responsibility
Consumers are seeking products with ingredients written in easy-to-understand terms, without artificial ingredients like preservatives, sulfates, and parabens. Some of the leading “free from” searches include artificial fragrance (up 37%), artificial sweeteners (up 25%), and antibiotics (up 27%). Today’s shoppers are voting with their dollars for “natural” products with minimal manmade additions.
Another growing consumer trend is value-based purchasing. More shoppers than ever are taking care of the planet as well as their health through their consumption choices. People around the world experienced the benefits of a more environmentally conscious society—for example, when smog-covered cities saw clear skies during lockdowns—and understood that their buying behaviors could make a difference. Searches for cage-free, pasture-raised, and other aspects of ethical production practices are growing rapidly. Consumers are also showing a growing willingness to pay more for sustainable products. Companies with environmental sustainability baked into their missions are being rewarded through higher sales.
Want More Health and Wellness Trends?
Looking for more health and wellness trends so you can tap into growing markets? Download NielsenIQ’s free ebook, 2022 Watchlist: The future of health and wellness awaits. You’ll get a deeper dive into key trends driving sales growth across categories, including emerging ingredient trends to watch in 2022 and an overview of the forces disrupting the health and wellness landscape.
With more consumers focused on healthy and sustainable products than ever before, there's never been a better time to get your products onto shelves and into shoppers’ hands. We’re excited to announce a new partnership that can help you get a foot in the door with retailers.
In a world where 2700 new products are launched every month, it’s not enough to have a great product or strong story anymore. Retailers care about category data and performance: to show them why you’re the best bet for their bottom line, you need to know how your whole category is performing—not just your product— and how you measure up.
Our friends at NielsenIQ Byzzer are making Big Data affordable for small brands. NielsenIQ Byzzer’s user-friendly platform lets you find the metrics retailers care about most with just a few clicks. As a member of Naturally Austin, you can get a free subscription here.
If you’re headed to Expo West, they’d love to meet you in person! Sign up for a 1:1 where they’ll help you pinpoint exactly what you need to do to sell more, get on more shelves, improve your trade spend ROI, and get your products into more shoppers’ hands.
After you’ve saved your spot, join their panel discussion on March 11 at 11am, where they help manufacturers reimagine growth strategies to build sustainable businesses. Sign up here.