Table of Contents
Executive Summary
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- Top takeaways
- Market overview
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- Figure 1: Total US sales and forecast of digestive health, at current prices, 2015-25
- Falling consumer confidence will support store brand sales
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- Figure 2: Consumer confidence and unemployment, 2000 – May 2020
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- Figure 3: Multi-outlet sales of digestive health, rolling 52 weeks 2019 and 2020
- Impact of COVID-19 on OTC digestive health products
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- Figure 4: Short-, medium- and long-term impact of COVID-19 on OTC digestive health products, August 2020
- Opportunities and Challenges
- Digestive health concerns are uncomfortable but manageable
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- Figure 5: Select attitudes toward any digestive health concern, June 2020
- Digestive health market benefits from purchases from parents, a dwindling cohort
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- Figure 6: Product usage, by parental status, June 2020
- Catering to stress-induced digestive health concerns
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- Figure 7: Reasons for increase in digestive health concerns, June 2020
- Opportunity for multi-functional benefits to advance the category
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- Figure 8: Attitudes toward multi-functional digestive health products, June 2020
The Market – What You Need to Know
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- Digestive health market produces slow growth
- Antacids dominate, yet provide minimal growth
- Impact of a recession will drive private label purchasing
- Highly engaged cohorts may be impacted by population changes
Market Size and Forecast
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- Digestive health market maintaining slow but steady growth
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- Figure 9: Total US sales and forecast of digestive health, at current prices, 2015-25
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- Figure 10: Total US sales and forecast of digestive health, at current prices, 2015-25
Market Breakdown
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- Antacids dominate market, but losing share
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- Figure 11: Total US retail sales and forecast of digestive health, by segment, at current prices, 2015-20
- Stomach remedies/antidiarrheals support recovery
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- Figure 12: Total US retail sales of digestive health, by segment, at current prices, 2018 and 2020
- Sales from online and supermarket purchases gain traction
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- Figure 13: Total US retail sales of digestive health, by channel, at current prices, 2018 and 2020
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- Figure 14: COVID-19 lifestyle changes – online shopping, March-April 2020
Market Perspective
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- Consumers seeking solutions to combat stress-induced health concerns
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- Figure 15: Changes in digestive health concerns, June 2020
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- Figure 16: Reasons for increase in digestive health concerns, June 2020
Market Factors
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- Economic hardship may shift spending on store brands
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- Figure 17: Consumer confidence and unemployment, 2000 – May 2020
- Figure 18: Select attitudes toward any digestive health concern, June 2020
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- Figure 19: Multi-outlet sales of digestive health, rolling 52 weeks 2019 and 2020
- Adults aged 25-34 support category growth
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- Figure 20: Population aged 18 or older, by age, 2014-24
- Parents are a key demographic for the digestive health market
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- Figure 21: Product usage, by parental status, June 2020
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- Figure 22: Households by presence of related children, 2008-18
Key Players – What You Need to Know
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- Household names dominate sales
- Lifestyle moments continue to offer opportunity
- Probiotics build on gut health with immunity benefits
- Zantac recall causes consumers to shift OTC antacid purchasing
- Holistic health needs call for multi-functional digestive health products
Company and Brand Sales of Digestive Health
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- GSK takes top spot in digestive health MULO sales; P&G still performs
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- Figure 23: Multi-outlet sales of digestive health, by leading companies, rolling 52 weeks 2019 and 2020
- Innovation for Pepto-Bismol supports P&G
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- Figure 24: TikTok trend, Pepto-Bismol face masks
- J&J’s Pepcid benefitted from Zantac recall and COVID-19 trials
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- Figure 25: Multi-outlet sales of antacids, by leading companies and brands, rolling 52 weeks 2019 and 2020
What’s Working
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- Lifestyle marketing continues to offer opportunity for key players
- #TUMSworthy moments
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- Figure 26: Multi-outlet sales of antacids, by leading companies and brands, rolling 52 weeks 2019 and 2020
- Two-Week Metamucil Challenge
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- Figure 27: Metamucil brand ambassador two-week challenge, January 2020
- Probiotics gain sales through immunity claims
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- Figure 28: Multi-outlet sales of probiotic brands, rolling 52 weeks 2019 and 2020
What’s Struggling
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- Zantac recall boosts sales of competitor products
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- Figure 29: Multi-outlet sales of antacids, by leading companies and brands, rolling 52 weeks 2019 and 2020
- Functional food continues to threaten the OTC product market
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- Figure 30: Trial and interest in select alternative digestive relief methods, June 2020
What to Watch
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- Immunity, stress and sleep support for digestive health
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- Figure 31: Reasons for increase in digestive health concerns, June 2020
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- Figure 32: attitudes toward multi-functional digestive health products, June 2020
The Consumer – What You Need to Know
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- Product usage is reliant on symptom relief
- The majority of adults experience digestive health issues
- Digestive health concerns are uncomfortable, but tolerable
- COVID-19 is increasing consumers’ digestive health concerns
- Encouraging treatment at the onset of digestive health symptoms
- Strong interest in personalized and multi-functional OTC methods
- Multi-functional claims can build on the gut health trend
Product Usage
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- Product usage is driven by symptom relief
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- Figure 33: Product usage, June 2020
- Young men turn to digestive health supplements
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- Figure 34: Product usage, by gender and age, June 2020
- Incidence of digestive health concerns for parents drives product use
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- Figure 35: Product usage, by parental status, June 2020
- More digestive health concerns necessitate symptom relief remedies
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- Figure 36: Repertoire of digestive health concerns, by product usage, June 2020
Digestive Health Concerns
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- Incidence of digestive health issues allows for symptom relief solutions
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- Figure 37: Digestive health concerns, June 2020
- Digestive health concerns most prevalent among young women
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- Figure 38: Digestive health concerns, by gender and age, June 2020
- Parents experience more digestive health concerns
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- Figure 39: Digestive health concerns, by parental status, June 2020
Attitudes toward Digestive Health Concerns
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- Digestive health concerns are uncomfortable, yet go untreated
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- Figure 40: Attitudes toward digestive health concerns, June 2020
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- Figure 41: Attitudes toward digestive health concerns, June 2020
- Women are burdened by feelings of embarrassment
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- Figure 42: Embarrassed by digestive health concerns, by gender, June 2020
- Digestive issues can be disruptive for parents and non-parents
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- Figure 43: digestive health concerns are disruptive to day-to-day routine, by parental status, June 2020
Changes in Digestive Health Concerns
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- Uptick in digestive health concerns since pandemic began
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- Figure 44: Changes in digestive health concerns, June 2020
- Parents experience rise in digestive health concerns
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- Figure 45: Changes in digestive health concerns, by parental status, June 2020
- Stress and worry from pandemic impacts physical wellness
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- Figure 46: Reasons for increase in digestive health concerns, June 2020
- Older adults suffer from pandemic-related stress/worry
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- Figure 47: increase in digestive health concerns due to increased stress/worry, by age, June 2020
- Time at home has led to positive changes in digestive health
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- Figure 48: Reasons for decrease in digestive health concerns, June 2020
Attitudes toward Managing Digestive Health
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- Adults resist early action when managing digestive health
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- Figure 49: Attitudes toward managing digestive health, June 2020
- GenZs are least engaged in digestive health management
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- Figure 50: Select attitudes toward managing digestive health, by generation, June 2020
Alternative Digestive Health Management
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- Multi-functional and personalized solutions garner most interest
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- Figure 51: Trial and interest in alternative digestive relief methods, June 2020
- Hispanics are invested in digestive health management
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- Figure 52: hispanics’ attitudes toward being vegetarian, indexed to all, April 2018-June 2019
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- Figure 53: Trial and interest in alternative digestive relief methods, by Hispanic origin, June 2020
- Parents seek digestive health relief from a variety of methods
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- Figure 54: Trial and interest in alternative digestive relief methods, by parental status, June 2020
Attitudes toward Supporting Gut Health
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- Immune system strength is a key benefit for consumers
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- Figure 55: attitudes toward supporting gut health, June 2020
- Room to improve older adults’ interest in multi-functional benefits
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- Figure 56: attitudes toward supporting gut health, by generation, June 2020
- Hispanic consumers will benefit from guidance on gut health
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- Figure 57: attitudes toward supporting gut health, by Hispanic origin, June 2020
Appendix – Data Sources and Abbreviations
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- Data sources
- Sales data
- Forecast methodology
- Consumer survey data
- Abbreviations and terms
- Abbreviations
Appendix – The Market
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- Figure 58: Total US sales and forecast of digestive health, at inflation-adjusted prices, 2015-25
- Figure 59: Total US retail sales of digestive health, at channel, at current prices, 2015-20
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Appendix – Key Players
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- Figure 60: Multi-outlet sales of laxatives, by leading companies and brands, rolling 52 weeks 2019 and 2020
- Figure 61: Multi-outlet sales of stomach remedies and antidiarrheals, by leading companies and brands, rolling 52 weeks 2019 and 2020
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