Views | Hamacher Resource Group

Home > Who We Are > Views > 2002 > The Evolving Vitamins Category

The Evolving Vitamins Category
By Hamacher Resource Group for Retail Pharmacy Management
[BACK]

January 2002 – Let's go back in time. Think about what your vitamins department looked like five years ago. Sales for the year had risen 12%, reaching just over $1 billion. Traffic may have been sporadic within the department, but drugstores sominated sales in the market with a 52% share over food and mass outlets. The average department size? 12 feet. The "hot" sellers were vitamin C and multiple vitamins.

Now fast-forward to today. Sales in the vitamin category have skyrocketed to $3.2 billion in drug, food and mass outlets. That's a $2 billion increase in five years. Still the outlet of choice, drugstore's share has fallen to 43%, but food, mass merchants, health food stores and Internet vendors now compete more aggressively.

The rocketing sales growth of the boom years may have peaked, leaving a mature department whose sales for the past two years have declined. . .read full story

Back to 2002 Views