According to Euromonitor International, U.S. nutritional supplements were a $28.3 billion category in 2017 that is expected to grow 26% by 2023. Clearly, opportunities to deliver health to a hungry consumer base are abundant. 
 
To gain insight into perceptions and attitudes toward the state of the industry, Nutraceuticals World conducted a survey of readers in October 2018. While a small sample size of finished product companies and raw material suppliers, confidence in the industry’s future is clearly high. In fact, 85% of respondents said they are “very” confident, and another 13% said they are “somewhat” confident in the future. Compared to last year, 61% of respondents are more assured this year and only 11% are less so. Complete results can be found here. 
 
Among the biggest concerns among those polled were—not surprisingly—regulations (64%), negative or misleading news about the industry (56%), and quality issues (42%). Unfortunately, poor quality products are still on the market. While responsible industry continues to push back, protecting consumers remains a challenge. 
 
How can brands set themselves apart from competitors and low-quality knockoff products? I’m encouraged that 68% of survey respondents said their company is interested in implementing or planning to incorporate clinical research into their business plans. Evidence that your product works will go a long way toward retaining customers and silencing critics. That said, this industry has a real issue with “borrowing” science, so I hope this means more companies will actually invest in clinical trials for their own products and ingredients.
 
Another 52% of respondents cited “increased transparency” as a business goal. Ultimately, consumers don’t want to feel like a company is hiding something from them. In the age of Amazon, it’s very easy for people to find an alternative brand. Information is power, so anything you can do to empower your customer and build trust seems like a win-win.
 
Looking forward to the next 10 years, our readers have high expectations for several major markets. Based on a weighted ranking score, Personalized Nutrition was cited as the market with the most potential for success, followed by Healthy Aging, Sports/Active Nutrition, Probiotics, CBD/Hemp, and Ayurvedic Herbs. In the end, companies in this industry are betting that health and wellness is a smart long-term investment. And I agree 100%.