Supplement sales up
Good news on supplement sales came from both Packaged Facts and the American Botanical Council.
Packaged Facts’ report, Nutritional Supplements in the U.S., said sales hit $11.5 billion in 2012, and forecasts they will reach $15.5 billion by 2017. Driving this growth, the report says, is a desire by consumers to seek less-costly alternatives to traditional medical care such as doctor visits or prescription medications.
Herbal supplement sales were also up, said a report in the latest issue of HerbalGram, the publication of the American Botanical Council, shows herbal supplements sales in all channels hit $5.3 billion in the United States in 2011, representing a healthy 4.3% increase from 2010.