Consumer interest rose to 60% when the products were palatable and included natural/botanical ingredients while it went up to 85% if the product consisted of Ayurvedic ingredients
A recent survey conducted by one of the world’s leading market intelligence agency Mintel has revealed that the number of vitamin and mineral supplement (VMS) launches in India has increased. It revealed that India was responsible for 1 in 5 launches across Asia. But despite the high number of launches, the research highlighted that the consumption level in India was at 37% pre-Covid. This consumption rate is expected to rise in the coming months the research noted.
The highest consumers of VMS included Indians aged 18-34 years at 44% and maximum consumption was observed in South India. But the research cited that 57% of Indians expect to spend more on healthcare products in the next month than before. These consist of not just masks and sanitisers but also traditional immunity boosters like Chyawanprash and other herbal health supplements.
Speaking on the insights, Rimpie Tulsiani, Senior Analyst, Mintel India said, “The VMS consumption in India pre-Covid-19 was low. However, the pandemic has led to a realisation of holistic wellbeing for consumers, where diet is not the only measure of preventive health. Thus, consumers are looking for specific ways to boost their immune system. Healthier lifestyles are becoming a priority for consumers, and the consumption of VMS is skewing towards holistic health supplements like eye health and beauty. The highly proactive mindsets of VMS consumers can be a starting point for brands to build more personalised and optimised products for them.”
The survey found out that Indian consumers would be interested in VMS products that were palatable (40%) and easy to digest (40%). Consumer interest rose to 60% when the products were palatable and included natural/botanical ingredients while it went up to 85% if the product consisted of Ayurvedic ingredients. It also found that 42% of consumers are influenced by doctors, followed by unpaid media influencers such as nutritionists, fitness trainers and online reviews at 41%.
Taste is important lever
“Taste is an important lever for brands to use – it drives up consumer interest. Pairing it with natural ingredients would hit more of consumers’ priorities. VMS players thus have a chance to look at innovative formats other than those with medicinal imagery like tablets and capsules to tackle the palatability issue to encourage consumption. Doctors are a key influencer group in the category, and prescription is considered important, but the reach is severely limited to the growth of the category. However, unpaid media such as fitness trainers, online reviews and nutritionists can play an important role in extending the reach of VMS and can help move the needle on penetration rates. Brands can utilise these channels to engage with consumers to build trust and positive equity,” Rimpie added.
The survey also revealed that 30% of Indians consume mineral supplements such as calcium, iron, zinc, followed by any multivitamins (28%). After generic multivitamins and mineral supplements, the next two categories where consumption is high are for eye health (27%) and hair/skin/nails supplements (26%).
“Awareness has grown of the issues on stress or blue light damage, and as a result, penetration rates for beauty and eye health VMS are now higher than for bone or digestive health. Additionally, urban lifestyle has led consumers to spend most of their time in front of a screen, leading to damages due to exposure to blue light as well. This focus on blue light protection will see intensification during the Covid time, as screen time increases while sitting and working from home,” Rimpie concluded.
Mintel has covered more than 38,000 product launches per month and tracks consumer spending across 34 markets. It has published more than 1300 reports in 2020, analyzed more than 500 market trends and included more than 200,000 marketing pieces in April 2020 alone.
