Competitor Strategies in Consumer Health

June 2025

Consumer Health companies face unchartered waters due to hugely disruptive global trade environment. This follows a period of positive, if not always smooth, performance. The long-term trends of moving away from treatment to prevention has ensured gradual, broad-based increase of sales over the period of 2019 to 2024. In 2025, industry’s top leaders are focused on the search for efficiencies, be it by divesting their worst-performing brands or leveraging newly emerging technologies.

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Key Findings

The operating environment remains positive, with growth opportunities new and old

Consumer health companies continue to benefit from longer-standing trends such as the move from treatment to prevention, rising interest in sports nutrition and the adoption of holistic approaches to health. Newly emerging trends, such as healthy ageing and the new generation of weight loss drugs, will likely shape the market positively, presenting companies with ripe market opportunities. At the same time, consumer health companies face challenges from FMCG incumbents as they more aggressively promote healthier versions of their offerings, further blurring the lines of health and nutrition.

Thriftiness, optimisation dominate the industry

Industry leaders are prioritising their core brands and are divesting long-tail products that fail to deliver sales targets or do not match the leaner, more focused, vision of the companies. For their core portfolios, consumer health firms are eyeing collaboration, such as partnerships with tech/data companies, understanding that they cannot do it all alone; that said, personalised and subscription-based offerings by itself are not enough to attract new consumers.

The role of technology goes up in all aspects of consumer health

The ascendance of technologies continues. Traditional products are increasingly accompanied by or paired with mobile apps to track the products’ progress/efficacy. The nature of selling is changing too, with social media emerging as a go-to channel for information, something health professionals and influencers leverage to their advantage. Newer media such as podcasts also shape these trends, with content around trends such as longevity proving popular.

Uncertainty looms large amid trade disputes

Global consumer health players will be affected by unpredictable trade policies in the near to mid term. This likely means delay of projects, fewer M&A activities and the reorganisation of manufacturing processes. Disruption to supply chains echoing those during the COVID era will be likely, necessitating the need for companies to stay agile.

Key takeaways
Scope
The industry remains fragmented, a result of specialisation
Conglomerate business model in retreat as companies aim for more focused approach
Optimisation of portfolios dominates industry agendas
Companies attempt to get more focused, seek ways to partner up
Emerging markets remain avenues of growth
Consumer health companies perform in line with the market, for better or worse
Focusing on best-performing brands proves hard
No major changes expected over the next five years
GLP-1 mania affects categories and companies indirectly (1)
GLP-1 mania affects categories and companies indirectly (2)
Beyond just the body: Mental health-related products flourish
Influencer marketing takes off, especially in Asia
Sport and sport-adjacent categories flourish, enticing new entrants
All-encompassing longevity leads to repositioning, repurposing of brands
Companies pledge to onshore US production amid disruption and uncertainty
Denmark emerges as a pharma production powerhouse
The rise of omnichannel means companies prioritise improved user experience
Key takeaways

Consumer Health

It is the aggregation of OTC, Vitamins and Dietary Supplements (VDS), Sports Nutrition, and Weight Management and Wellbeing

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