Kinga Wojcicka-Swiderska – Head of Content, Vitafoods Europe at Informa Markets
You’re likely familiar with the saying ‘health is wealth’. And it’s true… but perhaps not in the way you think. In today’s post-pandemic world, consumer health consciousness is at an all-time-high – a whopping one in four consumers are now using nutritional supplements to boost their well-being.[1] With this, of course, comes an increased demand for effective health solutions, thereby presenting an opportune moment for retailers to evolve and expand their offering of health and nutrition products.
But here’s the catch; hundreds of retail brands are clamouring for a slice of the (nutritious) pie. John Lewis recently announced a partnership with Randox Health to launch in-store health clinics, for example. Elsewhere, Walmart recently announced strong growth in health and wellness sales as part of its fourth-quarter fiscal 2024 earnings report, and Amazon is also reporting fast growth of its share of consumers’ health and personal care spending. So, how can retailers make their offering stand out? The secret may lie in tapping into the new and radically transforming ways that consumers find, engage with and buy nutritional products.
Ahead of the Future of Nutrition Summit at Vitafoods Europe, we’re diving into three ways the landscape for nutrition products is evolving, exploring what will resonate with the next generation of nutrition consumers and what they’re looking for from retailers.
- Elevated shopping experiences
Consumers are increasingly looking for holistic and cutting-edge nutrition products – but there’s no need for innovation to stop at what’s inside the bottle. In-store shopping offers exciting opportunities to break new ground and meet consumers’ health needs. QR codes on products or displays offer an unmissable opportunity to provide important product information. And while this technology can be applied to many industries, it’s particularly pertinent when it comes to nutrition. With on-pack space at a premium, QR codes on product displays can help provide information about a product’s health benefits and ingredients list. This is important considering that while over half of consumers say they have become more attentive to ingredient listings,[2] two thirds assume that if they don’t understand the information on the label, they perceive the product to contain more chemicals.[3]
But opportunities to innovate shopping experiences don’t stop there. Increasingly, consumers want personalised health solutions, and enhanced in-store experiences such as blood or microbiome testing can offer just that. For example, Holland & Barrett has started conducting instore blood testing – an example of how implementing technology can open up new avenues and services and help businesses move away from being product-led.
- Implementing AI – from concept to consumer
If there’s one thing that discerning consumers are seeking from their health and nutrition products, it’s something that truly works for them. Gone is the notion of ‘one-size-fits-all’ – personalised products are in. And novel technologies could help both the development of these personalised products, as well as their discovery by consumers. For example, machine learning approaches could help design personalised diet plans by integrating big datasets into machine learning, a subset of the AI category. This is something that researchers are already exploring to unlock insights into how individuals’ gut microbiomes might contribute to obesity. But AI doesn’t stop there – it’s also being used in R&D to develop new ingredients to go into these products. For example, companies like Nuritas are using AI at a molecular – rather than diet – level to speed up the bioactive or ingredient discovery phase. For retailers, this means there’s potential for responding to consumer health trends and needs with relevant products faster than ever before. And AI can even play a role in the purchasing stage to further offer more tailored solutions – with opportunities to use the technology in chatbots to facilitate guided product discovery that meets shoppers’ needs and preferences, to adaptive online experiences that leverage context, previous purchases, and shopping behaviours to personalise a user’s digital experience.
- Social-forward communication
Of course, social media will also play a pivotal role in the future of retail for nutrition products. In 2024, social platforms are packed with health hacks and product recommendations, from gut-boosting probiotics to gummies and drinks that promise glowing skin or healthier hair. Younger consumers increasingly shop for their health products through social media platforms such as TikTok Shop, meaning that social-forward communication is now critical in helping consumers find new nutraceutical products. But with influencers and everyday users alike touting the benefits of their favourite finds, it can be hard to separate fact from fiction. There’s an important role for brands and retailers to create content that closes the education gap, champions evidence-based nutrition and science, and helps consumers make informed choices. AI can have an impact here, too. For example, using the technology to interpret and translate scientific papers. This information could then be harnessed by retailers to educate consumers via tools such as chatbots, or even transformed into educational social media content – a strategy already successfully employed by brands like Holland and Barrett, which shares wellness tips in bitesize forms online. But adding AI into the mix could further augment this approach making it easier than ever to share the very latest research, in a digestible and easy to understand way.
The future of nutrition and retail is here – will you be ready?
About the Future of Nutrition Summit
The Future of Nutrition Summit (13 May, Marriott Hotel, Geneva) returns to Vitafoods Europe 2024 – the leading event for nutraceuticals, functional food and beverages and dietary supplements. Featuring experts from the industry’s top brands, including Huel, Nuritas, Holland & Barrett, Kline & Company, expect future-facing insights into the next frontier of nutrition. Exploring three key growth areas – the future of health, product development and retail – the Summit will dive into personalised e-commerce, the role of AI in nutrition retail and more. Tickets are on sale now: www.vitafoods.eu.com
[1] FMCG Gurus, ‘Nutritional Supplements in 2022 report’, 2023
[2] FMCG Gurus, ‘Top Trends for 2024 – Global Report’, 2023
[3] Kline and Company, ‘Clean Label in Food & Beverages: Perception vs. Reality’, 2020
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