FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Nancy White
The Natural Marketing Institute
215.513.7300 ext. 225
Nancy.White@NMIsolutions.com

NMI Reports 2006 Health & Wellness Industry Sales Approaching $90 Billion

Industry shows impressive growth of 13%

Harleysville, Pa. – The Natural Marketing Institute (NMI) announced today that retail sales within the U.S. consumer packaged goods health and wellness industry reached $89.61 billion in 2006, representing growth of 13% over 2005. These findings are part of NMI’s annual Health & Wellness Trends Database™(HWTD) research study, conducted in 2006 among 5,800+ U.S. households.

According to NMI President Maryellen Molyneaux, “Functional/fortified foods and beverages continue to represent the industry’s largest category sales. Retail sales for this segment were $35 billion in 2006 (a growth of 18% over 2005). Natural/organic personal care continues to show the highest growth of all health and wellness categories at 24%.  Sales increased from $4.89 billion in 2005 to over $6 billion in 2006 and are expected to more than double to $15 billion by 2011.”

Organic products showed a 19% increase to over $15 billion, attributed to increased product offerings in the marketplace, including both branded and private label products from mainstream consumer packaged good companies and natural/organic companies alike.

Based on consumer spending by product segment, consumer penetration/usage trends, and projected data, industry retail dollars for 2006 (and growth versus 2005) are as follows:

• Functional/Fortified Foods & Beverages : $34.53 billion (18% growth)

• Vitamins, Minerals, Herbal & Dietary Supplements: $20.33 billion (4% growth)

• Organic Products: $15.16 billion (19% growth)

• Natural Foods/Beverages: $13.54 billion (9% growth)

• Natural/Organic Personal Care: $6.05 billion (24% growth)

Steve French, NMI Managing Partner, states “The continued proliferation and convergence of health and wellness across many consumer packaged goods has created a critical mass that now reaches a majority of consumers. The role of nutrition is now a driving force to many, which is being extended to notions of purity, functionality, sustainability, and disease prevention, among others.”

This data will be published in April 2007 as part of NMI’s 2007 Health and Wellness Trends Report™ (HWTR). This comprehensive report contains more than 200 pages of data and analyzes consumer attitudes, behaviors, product usage patterns, lifestyles and demographics surrounding the health and wellness arena. Specific category focus includes: natural, organic, functional, and fortified foods and beverages; corporate, social and environmental factors; weight loss products; sports nutrition; nutritional supplements; health-related ingredients and health claims; and sweeteners. New in 2007 is a section devoted to families’ and kids’ dietary/health needs and dining out at fast food/restaurant chains as well as expanded analysis of NMI’s top trends of 2007.

###

NMI is a strategic consulting, market research, and business development company specializing in the health, wellness, and sustainable marketplace. For more information on the HWTR or NMI’s other proprietary research reports and services, visit NMI’s web site at www.NMIsolutions.com.

< back to Press Releases main page