Focus

Market Statistics

Healthy Food & Beverage:

• Sales of natural & organic food and beverages saw 85% growth from 2005-2009 to reach $36.4 billion at wholesale vs. 2-3% annually for conventional products.
• U.S. consumer sales of functional foods and beverages grew 22% from 2006-2009 to $37.4 billion.
• U.S. sales of organic food and beverages have grown from $1 billion in 1990 to $24.8 billion in 2009. Sales in 2009 represented 5.1 percent growth over 2008 sales.
• AC Nielsen scanner data reported FDM retailers generated $45.6 billion in sales of better-for-you products in 2009.
• In a recent UNFI trend report, 65% of consumers express the most desire for foods with organic ingredients.
• One in three (34%) people have a household member with celiac disease or wheat intolerance.
• 61% of Americans have visited a natural foods store in the past year.

Health & Wellness:

• U.S. consumer sales of nutrition products grew 4.4% to $108.3 billion in 2009. Despite the tough economic environment, nutrition product sales are expected to expand another 6% in 2010.
• Over 87% of U.S. consumers take some form of dietary supplements.
• Overall sales of supplements in the US in 2009 represented $26.9 billion at retail.
• Multivitamins alone amassed $110 million in sales in 2009.
• Sales of herbal supplements in the mass market retail channel grew 15% to nearly $900 million in 2009 representing over 17% of the total $5 billion consumer sales.
• The weight loss and diet control industry was approximately $60 billion dollars in 2009.
• 69% of Americans used some form of complementary and/or alternative medicine in the last year. There are 50% more visits per year to CAM practitioners than to traditional medicine practitioners.
• Over the past thirty years prevalence of obesity has tripled. In 2009, 9 states had an obesity rate of 30% or higher compared to no states in 2000. Today nearly three-quarters of the U.S. population is overweight, obese, or extremely obese.
• Within the health care system, studies find that obesity accounts for around $168 billion annually in direct costs, nearly 17% of U.S. medical costs.
• Health economists estimate the indirect costs of obesity are $4.3 billion a year for absenteeism and $506 per obese worker per year for lower worker productivity.
• Approximately 70% of American adults are concerned about their weight and more than half (53%) are actively trying to lose weight.
• The single highest response in a recent PWC Survey indicated that employers planned to spend money expanding or improving wellness programs inside the United States (67%). 76% of survey participants (up from 69% two years earlier) and 85% of large employers (>5,000 lives) now offer some form of wellness program to eligible individuals.

Natural Home & Personal Care:

• U.S. (non-consumable) natural products sales topped $56.7 billion in 2009 showing 9.7% annual growth.
• Surpassing a 15% CAGR over the past 5 years, natural home and personal care products have emerged as high growth sub-sectors.
• Overall growth in the (non-food) natural products industry is expected to average just over 12% through 2014.
• Female baby boomers are the largest personal care buying segment, known for their spending power, proactive health habits and dedication to product research. These women average 13+ hours online every week making the online market a powerful resource.
• Skin care remains the most important category in the global beauty market, accounting for 23% value share of total sales in 2009.

Sports & Fitness:

• The $19.5 billion U.S. health club market has shown steady growth with 6.8% revenue CAGR from 1994 to 2009; worldwide revenue estimated at $67.2 billion.
• There were an estimated 10.3 million new health club members in 2008 and on average health club members attend their club 101.2 times in the course of a year. A total of 4.6 billion visits.
• Of over 78 million aging Baby Boomers, over ten thousand will turn 50 every day for the next fifteen years. Significant spending power, more leisure time, and a vested interest in living more healthy lifestyles will continue to support the outdoor industry.
• There are over 45 million gym memberships in the U.S. and more than 120 million worldwide.
• The $3.2 billion U.S. consumer fitness equipment market is large and experiencing a movement toward higher participation in non-traditional fitness and training regimes
• The top five health club based activities in 2009 were: weight/resistance machines, treadmills, elliptical machines, stationary cycling, and free weights.
• Yoga [participation] has grown at ~24% CAGR over last decade with total spending nearly doubling since 2004 to $5.7 billion annually on yoga classes and products.
• More than 10 million people are participating in Pilates today.
• According to the National Sporting Goods Association, overall sporting goods sales are expected to reach $51.6 billion in 2010 up from $50.7 billion in 2009.
• The global bicycle industry, including bicycles, parts, and accessories, is estimated to have total retail sales of $18 billion in 2009, with over 100 million bicycles being sold globally.
• The U.S. ski industry recorded 59.7 million visits in 2009 which was the second best ski season ever.

Environment & Sustainable Products:

• The value of green building construction was up from $10 billion in 2005 to $36 billion in 2008, and is expected to triple by 2013.
• Global sales of organic products reached $51 billion in 2008, double the $25 billion recorded in 2003.
• Recycling materials accounted for approximately $28.6 billion in U.S. exports in 2008 to 153 countries.
• Recycled materials account for 40% of the world’s raw materials.
• Two in three consumers bought products with recyclable packaging or packaging made of recycled materials (66%).
• Four in ten (40%) consumers recently tried a new brand or switched brands, specifically because the new brand had more earth friendly packaging.
• 44% of consumers bought products with compostable/biodegradable packaging.
• New eco packaging options of most interest among 50% of consumers included: compostable/biodegradable, reusable and refillable product packaging.
• 82 million tons of materials are recycled in the United States, about a 100% increase in the total recycling in the United States during the past decade; the US recycles about 32% of its waste today.
• An average American produced 800 kilograms of rubbish a year, compared to only 577 kilograms per person in Western Europe.
• According to the United Nations Environment Program, wind, solar and biofuel companies received a record $148 billion in new funding in 2007 as rising oil prices and climate change policies encouraged investment in renewable energy; $50 billion of that funding went to wind projects.
• Clean energy markets, including biofuels, wind, solar, and fuel cells, are projected to grow from a total of $77 billion in 2008 to over $300 billion by 2017.
• $11billion is the amount the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act includes or a build-out of the smart grid which is the integration of two-way communications between utilities and consumers through advanced metering infrastructure to determine where and to what extent electricity is being consumed.