What’s Hot & What’s Not, feat. Natural Food Store
Angela Stephenson from Natural Food Store in Norwich says not only is magnesium a bestseller but customers are becoming more discerning about the different varieties of this popular mineral, while demand for CBD continues to wane.
What’s Hot:
Magnesium
Magnesium has consistently been our top selling product now for a number of years and it shows no sign of slowing down. Consumer awareness of the benefits of magnesium is continuing to grow. There’s also a huge appetite to understand what different types of magnesium actually are and how they differ, or not, in the body. Bisglycinate is the preferred option at the moment, but citrate seems to be having a mini revival. We have a selection of magnesium products ranging from Together Health at just £6.99 to make it accessible to everyone, along with Viridian’s High Potency Magnesium and Terranova’s Magnesium Bisglycinate Complex. All three are regularly in our monthly Top Five.
What’s Hot: Fermented probiotics
After the huge upturn in probiotic sales over the last few years, we began to see a subtle downturn as the main brands became more widespread in multiples, supermarkets and pharmacies. The arrival of Living Nutrition’s Organic Fermented Symbiotic pro- and post-biotic range has totally flipped that again. Customers in our store definitely resonate with the holistic, wholefood approach of having a broad spectrum of strains along with beneficial herbs such as artichoke or slippery elm to aid specific digestive issues. Again, a regular feature in our Top Five and a hugely popular range.
What’s Hot: Liposomal
I’d expected the liposomal bubble to burst at some point, but for us it’s still going strong. In particular, Well.Actually’s Vitamin D3/K2 and Vitamin B12 sprays are incredibly popular. Their choice of flavours and good price point have seen their D3/K2 spray become our best-selling vitamin D product, and even as we enter summer sales are still strong. The convenience of being a spray allows people to adjust their dose as the weather improves (hopefully!) which makes this a great option. The improved absorption and bioavailability is something our customers are very keen to maximize wherever they can as well. Vitamin C, glutathione and magnesium are also seeing good sales in liposomal and I’m excited to see what new lines arrive this year to continue the trend.
What’s Not: Make-up
Our range of Benecos of natural make-up is shrinking, mainly due to the increase in vegan make-up options in mainstream stores. We’re certainly no longer the only place to pick up a phthalate- and formaldehyde-free nail varnish or a vegan mascara, and as such it’s no longer a range which draws people to our store. It’s great to see a natural approach to make-up becoming the norm, even if just a tiny bit. While we’d love to have the exclusivity on this and the sales that would go with that, hopefully by bringing natural beauty to the mainstream it’s the beginning of a shift to a kinder and cleaner beauty industry across the board.
What’s Not: CBD
I’m sure this has been said before, but the CBD boom is definitely reaching its end. While sales are still ok, I’m certainly ordering less frequently and smaller quantities when I do. I think it’s partly due to becoming more readily accessible, and there are always shifts in popularity. Right now, it’s not such a great time for it, but I wouldn’t be at all surprised if it had a repeat boom in a year or two. When sales do happen, it’s almost always the cheaper lines; people aren’t so willing to try the CBD products at £60-plus.
What’s Not: Oils
During our recent year end, I was surprised at how little we now sell of ‘old fashioned’ essential fatty acid (EFA) oils such as evening primrose, flaxseed, cod liver oil and even basic fish oil. Having been in this industry for almost thirty years, it seems bizarre to me that we now sell so little of the traditional stalwarts of the supplement industry. That said, it’s great to see the transition to cleaner and more sustainably farmed products. We certainly sell plenty of EFA products, but those such as Together Health Vegan Omega 3, Cleanmarine Krill Oil, Viridian Scandinavian Trout and Regenerative Omegas Ahiflower are topping the charts. Consumers have an awareness of sourcing and quality and are much more interested in these specific products than traditional EFA oils and blends.
By Angela Stephenson, Natural Food Store