Wellness is more than just a passing trend; it’s a movement that keeps growing bigger, broader, and more sophisticated by the day. McKinsey estimates the wellness market has reached $480 billion, growing at 5% to 10% annually. In a consumer survey of 2,000 Americans commissioned by The Vitamin Shoppe, 55% of respondents say their lifestyles are either “much more” or “somewhat more” healthy since the end of the pandemic in May 2023. With the wellness industry expanding at such a rapid rate, the top wellness trends are shifting fast.
The Vitamin Shoppe's recently released 2024 Health and Wellness Trends Reportis a valuable resource that provides crucial insight into what wellness products Americans buy to support their health and well-being. The report offers a deep understanding of consumer behavior in the wellness market and shows that wellness goals remain diverse across different segments of the US population.
“The Vitamin Shoppe offers the largest selection of vitamins, supplements, and sports nutrition products of any retailer in America, so we are uniquely positioned to understand the behaviors, attitudes, and goals of the wellness consumer,” says Lee Wright, CEO of The Vitamin Shoppe. “It’s a time of meaningful evolution in our industry, with innovations such as GLP-1 medications driving increased attention on the importance of healthy nutrition while social media continues to create surges of interest in a wide range of health and wellness supplements and products.”
The Vitamin Shoppe leveraged proprietary data from The Vitamin Shoppe’s 700 retail locations and vitaminshoppe.com, as well as industry-wide data from its research partner, SPINS. Here are a few of the leading trends highlighted in the report:
1. Nutritional Support for GLP-1 Users
Drugs like Ozempic, Mounjaro, and other glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) drugs for weight loss have taken the market by storm, leading to a noticeable bump in sales of certain supplement categories like ready-to-drink protein beverages, which were up 10% in 2023 versus the previous year, and meal replacement products tailored to weight management, up 13% in the first four months of this year. Patients using GLP-1 drugs experience symptoms such as significantly decreased appetite, reduced nutrient intake, and potential gastrointestinal issues. Supplements such as proteins, multivitamins, fiber, and probiotics can help ensure GLP-1 users optimize nutrition while minimizing unpleasant side effects. Industry-wide, protein supplements and meal replacements were up 15% for the 52 weeks ending November 5, according to SPINS data.
“Data shows that a significant percentage of the population is not meeting the daily requirements for key nutrients, such as vitamins C, D, and magnesium. This problem will be further exacerbated by the use of GLP-1 medications, which decrease overall food intake,” says Brian Tanzer, a nutritionist and Director of Scientific and Regulatory Affairs at The Vitamin Shoppe.
2. Longevity
Longevity is the newest frontier of the wellness industry. To help consumers live longer, healthier lives, The Vitamin Shoppe installed longevity-centric product displays in all stores to spotlight key areas of healthy aging needs, including cognitive health, cellular health, and mobility support formulas. Cognitive support products are the biggest sales driver by volume in The Vitamin Shoppe’s new Longevity category, including Onnit’s Alpha Brain, which contains ingredients that support memory and focus, such as L-theanine, alpha GPC, and Huperzia serrata extract. Cellular health support—such as Life Extension’s NAD+ Cell Regenerator, Vthrive The Vitamin Shoppe Bioactive B-Complex, and Jarrow Formulas’ L-carnitine—saw the biggest sales gains in 2023, up over 45% from the previous year.
This summer, The Vitamin Shoppe plans to expand the Longevity category assortment to include probiotics, omega-3s, and multivitamins to support consumer demand for healthy aging products further. While the multivitamin category is stable, sales in the overall category inched up 3% for the first four months of 2024. Innovative products like liquid formats with high bioavailability (the extent to which a substance is fully available to its intended bio-destination) are up 25% in the same period. Viral supplement brand Mary Ruth’s, which has enjoyed a surge in popularity on TikTok, is the standout in the liquid multivitamin set, with sales up over 200% this year at The Vitamin Shoppe.
3. Gut Health
Gut health and digestive products are taking center stage, with trending supplements like probiotics, prebiotics, psyllium husk, and digestive enzymes booming in popularity. According to SPINS, overall sales of digestive health and enzyme products increased 9% for the 52 weeks ending November 5 (multi-outlet + convenience store channels). Food and beverage manufacturers are adding gut health support to all sorts of products, with sales of digestive health beverages up 22%, high-fiber yogurt up 30%, prebiotic sodas up over 220%, and even probiotic candy up over 130% for the 52 weeks ending October 5. Digestive enzymes are a subcategory of gut health products gaining increased recognition, with ingredients such as bromelain (derived from pineapples), ox bile (long used in Chinese wellness practices), and betaine HCl (to help alleviate occasional indigestion) gaining traction as consumers become increasingly knowledgeable. Betaine HCl sales, for example, were up 30% in the first three months of 2024 at The Vitamin Shoppe.
4. A Focus on Women’s Health for Ages 40+
Women over 40 are a quarter of the global population, but in previous years, this age group has been largely ignored by the beauty and wellness industry. According to Grand View Research, the global market for all menopause-related products reached $17.8 billion in 2024 and is expected to grow to $24.4 billion in 2030, with North America accounting for 36% of total sales. Dietary supplements are the fastest-growing segment of this market, with women over 50 prioritizing natural and herbal wellness solutions. Celebrities, including Naomi Watts, Halle Berry, and Serena Williams, have launched or invested in menopause-related health start-ups, boosting awareness of solutions for some of the most common concerns that this age group faces.
This year, The Vitamin Shoppe introduced three new brands and more than 40 new products to its dedicated Women’s Health product displays, one of the biggest expansions of the section in years. According to SPINS analysis, women are increasingly seeking out case-specific supplements to provide menopause, PMS, prenatal and postnatal support, rather than non-specific use cases, such as multivitamins. Sales of PMS formulas, for example, increased by 12% for the 52 weeks ending October 8. Consumers are becoming more aware of the targeted supplement in this growing category as well. In The Vitamin Shoppe consumer survey, 58% of women said they were very or somewhat knowledgeable about the potential wellness challenges related to menopause and perimenopause.
5. Functional Beverages
The drop in soda consumption has been met with an increase in functional beverages that help consumers enhance their wellness goals. Drinks with added vitamins, adaptogens, nootropics, and botanicals not only provide essential hydration but can potentially boost mood, relieve stress, and balance hormone production. Sales of the functional beverage category have grown across channels, with ready-to-drink functional beverages growing 20% in the natural channel for the 52 weeks ending November 5 and 5% in the larger multi-outlet and convenience channels, according to SPINS. The Vitamin Shoppe recently introduced an endcap display in 500 stores dedicated to functional beverages such as Kin Euphorics, De Soi, Hiyo, and Parch.
“We started with a focus on mocktail brands that are growing in popularity as part of the sober-curious movement. We saw such a strong reception from customers that we’ve doubled the size of the displays to showcase a larger range of products and ingredients while expanding the set to over 500 stores,” says Jack Gayton, Vice President and General Merchandise Manager at The Vitamin Shoppe.
Powder formulas are seeing a huge jump in popularity as consumers take to mixing up their own at-home beverages. Super Greens powders, for example, increased sales by 125% in the multi-outlet and convenience channels for the 52 weeks ending November 5, according to SPINS. Searches for magnesium powder—a key functional ingredient in the “sleepy girl mocktail,” which exploded on TikTok earlier this year as a sleep-enhancing beverage—were up nearly 300% on vitaminshoppe.com. According to SPINS, overall sales of L-theanine–infused coffee and tea beverages increased by 70% for the year ending in October, and sales of L-theanine water products increased by 24%.
