The old saying that “An apple a day keeps the doctor away” might someday transition to “A supplement a day keeps the doctor away” as topics such as the U.S. obesity rate, an aging baby boomer generation, and increased energy/alertness continue to bring attention to the nutritional/dietary supplement segment, according to market research firms.
Rockville, Md.-based Packaged Facts estimates in its September 2012 report, “Nutritional Supplements in the U.S., 5th Edition,” that U.S. retail sales of nutritional supplements reached $11.5 billion in 2012, up 6.5 percent from 2011 sales, based on Chicago-based Information Resources Inc. (IRI)’s InfoScan data from mass market retailers, reported revenues of individual companies, and figures appearing in the trade press. The market research firm also estimates that the market grew 31.7 percent from 2008 to 2012 and posted a compound annual growth rate of 7.1 percent with consistent, even growth throughout the time period.