GLP-1 Nutrition, Gut Health Among Vitamin Shoppe’s Top Wellness Trends

The nutrition and supplement giant has released data based on its sales and consumer survey findings from the past year

Americans are getting healthier and making their wellness a priority according to The Vitamin Shoppe, which has released a study identifying the top five health and wellness trends for 2024.

Over half (55%) of respondents in The Vitamin Shoppe Consumer Survey reported that their lifestyles are either “much more” or “somewhat more” healthy since the end of the pandemic (defined as May 2023) — encouraging news for the nutrition and supplement industry, which is excited to welcome new health–driven consumers.

The Vitamin Shoppe announced last month that it’s launching a telehealth service, Whole Health Rx, to offer weight loss medications to eligible consumers.

Here are the top trends from The Vitamin Shoppe’s Health & Wellness Trend Report 2024, based on the company’s sales and consumer survey findings from the past year, including data from research partner Spins.

GLP-1s Drive Nutrition-Based Supplement Sales

The GLP-1 boom is rapidly slimming down Americans, but it’s also opened the door for supplements such as proteins, multivitamins, fiber and probiotics to emerge as a key component in using weight loss drugs.

The Vitamin Shoppe notes that it’s seen a “sales bump” in ready-to-drink protein beverages, up 10% in 2023 versus the previous year. Meal replacement products designed for weight management also saw a 13% rise in the first four months of the year. According to Spins, protein supplements and meal replacements were up 15% industry-wide for the 52 weeks ending November 5.

Food giant Nestle will soon release a protein-packed frozen food line for GLP-1 users — a sure sign that other food manufacturers will likely follow suit.

“It’s a time of meaningful evolution in our industry, with innovations such as GLP-1 medications driving increased attention on the importance of healthy nutrition while social media continues to create surges of interest in a wide range of health and wellness supplements and products,” The Vitamin Shoppe CEO Lee Wright said.

The Staying Power of Longevity

Longevity may be the wellness buzzword of 2024 — and for good reason. Tech advancements and an increased interest in health and wellness have led to the creation of a growing longevity economy that puts consumers in the driver’s seat of their health.

The Vitamin Shoppe says it has installed longevity-centric displays in all of its stores, showcasing products that support healthy aging, cellular and cognitive health and mobility support. The company indicated that cognitive support products were the largest sales drivers by volume within its longevity merchandise. Cellular health support products, on the other hand, had the biggest sales improvement in 2023 (up 45% from the prior year).

Gut Instincts

Vitamin Shoppe has identified gut health as a top trend for 2024 , partly supported by the destigmatization of common issues such as bloating and IBS and the rise of supplements like probiotics, prebiotics, psyllium husk, and digestive enzymes as helpful products for those with gut-related problems. The company says its ProBioCare line of probiotics and digestive health products saw sales increase 24% in 2023 and experienced a 44% boost in Q1 2024.

Across the board, digestive health and enzyme products sales have increased 9% for the 52 weeks ending November 5, according to Spins.

Women Invest in Their Health

Women’s health has also taken center stage, with Spins revealing that women consumers are increasingly interested in “case-specific supplements” to address their unique needs. Premenstrual syndrome (PMS) formulas, in particular, saw a 12% increase in sales for the 52 weeks ending October 8.

The Vitamin Shoppe also is catering to women with the launch of Health & Her, Wile, and Solaray Her Life Stages, three new lines that offer support for female consumers 40-plus looking to address areas like perimenopause, menopause, post-menopause, hormonal health, emotional health and sexual health .

Sipping to Health

Functional beverages have become a quick and tasty way to ingest vitamins, adaptogens, nootropics and botanicals, with The Vitamin Shoppe dedicating an endcap display in 500 of its stores to brands like Kin Euphorics, De Soi, Hiyo and Parch to support growing functional beverage sales .

Ready-to-drink functional beverages have grown 20% in the natural channel for the 52 weeks ending November 5 and 5% in larger multi-outlet and convenience channels, according to SPINS.

The Vitamin Shoppe Health & Wellness Trend Report 2024 is available for download here .

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