MARKET ALERT: Herbal Supplement Sales in US Increased 8.5% in 2017, Topping $8 Billion (HerbalGram)

Editor's Note

2017 saw the strongest US sales growth for herbal supplements in more than 15 years, according the latest data from SPINS, IRI and Nutrition Business Journal (NBJ). HerbalGram reports that sales of herbal supplements in 2017 increased to nearly $8.1 billion thanks to 8.5 percent growth. Retail sales increased in all market channels in 2017, according to NBJ estimates. The strongest growth was seen in direct sales of herbal supplements, which totaled $4.012 billion in 2017, an 11.2% increase from the previous year. Consumer spending on herbal supplements has nearly doubled since 2004.

Fall 2018

HerbalGram

Herbal Supplement Sales in US Increased 8.5% in 2017,

Topping $8 Billion

Strongest sales growth in more than 15 years bolstered by continued popularity of Ayurvedic herbs and new formulations of botanicals with general health and nutrition benefits

Introduction

In 2017, retail sales of herbal dietary supplements in the United States surpassed $8 billion for the first time, reaching an estimated total of $8.085 billion. Consumer spending increased by approximately $633 million, or 8.5%, from 2016 — the strongest US sales growth for herbal supplements in more than 15 years. Total US retail sales have increased every year since 2004, and since then, consumer spending on herbal supplements has nearly doubled.

The information presented in this report is based on retail sales data provided by the market research firms SPINS and IRI, both based in Chicago, Illinois, and the Nutrition Business Journal (NBJ), part of the New Hope Network, a Boulder, Colorado-based natural products industry-focused media company owned by Informa. SPINS collaborated with IRI to determine total retail sales of herbal dietary supplements in the mainstream multi-outlet retail channel. NBJ calculated total overall sales of herbal supplements as well as breakdowns by market channel and product type (single-herb vs. combination-herb supplements).

In addition to the overall sales growth for herbal dietary supplements, total retail sales increased in all market channels in 2017, according to NBJ estimates. The strongest growth was seen in direct sales of herbal supplements, which totaled $4.012 billion in 2017, an 11.2% increase from the previous year. Mass-market retail sales grew by 8.4% to reach an estimated total of $1.449 billion in 2017, and herbal supplement sales in natural and health food stores, which totaled $2.624 billion in 2017, increased by 4.7% from the previous year.