In this Issue

Perhaps because of their parents and grandparents, millennials are taking a shine to the use of dietary supplements as a strategy toward being healthier, according to the 2016 Consumer Survey on Dietary Supplements conducted by Ipsos Public Affairs on behalf of the Council for Responsible Nutrition. Overall, as many as 170 million U.S. adults, or 71% of the population, take dietary supplements.

There is perhaps a latent opportunity for retailers to create a new destination center out of three existing categories that would appeal to a new millennial mom — products boosting preconception health; products supporting a pregnant woman’s health; and products supporting lactation and breast feeding following her pregnancy.

(Click here to view the full VMS Report.)

The minerals/supplements category saw year-over-year growth of 8%, with the one- and two-letter vitamins up 4%. Growth was led by Quincy Bioscience followed by private label in the minerals/supplements category (see Figure 1). Prevagen led drug channel growth in minerals and supplements, which nearly doubled in sales up 87%, while IBgard’s skyrocketed 306% year over year. Larger brands that contributed with double-digit growth were Nature’s Bounty, Culturelle and Align (see Figure 2).

Beauty brands are rushing to add apps as a ploy to allow shoppers to experiment with beauty more often, while also eliminating the need for consumers to return products because of disappointment in shades. If a brand doesn’t have an app now, it probably will this year.

(To view the full Beauty Trends Report, click here.)

L’Oréal kicked off the trend two years ago with Makeup Genius, but many others have been quick on its heels.

Whether it’s baby boomers looking to boost their health profiles heading into their golden years or millennials attempting to fortify themselves against the rising cost of health care, interest in dietary supplements, sports nutrition, diet aids, meal-replacement solutions and even energy shots has never been higher, according to a Kline consumer survey released last year.

(Click here to view the full VMS Report.)

America’s getting healthy again.

(Click here to view the full Category Review.)

AMSTERDAM — The Philips OneBlade is a new hybrid electric styler that can trim, shave and create clean lines and edges. It is specially designed for the increasing number of millennials who regard personally-styled facial hair as an essential part of their persona. For the first time, consumers can shave any length of hair with one stroke. The Philips Norelco OneBlade is an electric grooming technology designed for men who wear facial styles, beards or stubble. OneBlade trims, edges and shaves any length of hair.

Make healthcare affordable — again.

That’s the mandate many Americans have for President-elect Donald Trump’s first 100 days in office. In fact, as many as 76% identified health care as the leading policy issue they’d like to see addressed by the new administration and a Republican-controlled Congress, according to a PricewaterhouseCoopers Health Research Institute Consumer Survey conducted in September, though the economy (79%) and national security (76%) were leading concerns as well.