NIU’s Global Round-up: Blackmores’ plunging profits, Sports nutrition in Mexico, and more
Asia
Blackmores profits drop amid struggles in China
Australian supplement firm Blackmores reported its profits dropped 24% over the last year, with much of this linked to struggles in China.
According to NutraIngredients-Asia, key exports accounts and in-country sales in China were down 15% year-on-year.
“We continue to see an ongoing evolution in the way Chinese consumers access our products, with a shift away from Australian retailers to more direct purchasing from e-commerce platforms in China,” the firm said in its financial report.
Despite this bas news, the company reported surging sales in Vietnam (157% growth) and Indonesia (90% growth).
The firm remained the market leader in Australia with a market share of 15.9%, with a “strong gap over the nearest domestic competitor”.
LATAM
‘Do or die’ in Mexico’s sports nutrition market
A whopping 35% of Mexican ‘best-selling’ sports nutrition products have been taken off the online shelves between Q3 2018 and March 2019, according to new data from Lumina Intelligence.
Tom Morgan, Lumina Intelligence’s Senior Market Analyst, told NutraIngredients-LATAM that “review growth has been massive” in Mexico. “The market is still very small”, he added, but it does signify “a mass consolidation in the online channel for sports nutrition in Mexico”. The country, at present, is a “do-or-die market”.
Morgan added that most of the sports nutrition products found online are imported, so a home-grown product has the potential to do well.
Lumina Intelligence is run by NutraIngredients’ parent company William Reed Business Media, and it offers granular data on products and ingredients, including online engagement data on probiotics, sports nutrition, and sustainability.
Europe
Activia enters fermented food category with new Live Culture Smoothies
France’s Danone has announced the launch of a new range of fermented products under its Activia brand.
As reported by NutraIngredients Europe, the products are formulated with Activia yogurt with added fruit and veg plus billions of live cultures to aid gut health.
“We are continually adapting our range of fermented products to ensure that we are meeting evolving consumer demands. We know that younger consumers in particular want both nutrition and convenience - rather than having to choose between one or the other,” said Ben Kind, Activia’s brand manager.
“This is big step change for Activia, entering into a new category and shelf position. We’re confident our brand credentials and fantastic new range will open up great potential to leverage the growth of fermented products.”
