What’s Hot & What’s Not, feat. Painswick Pharmacy

Penny Kikic from Painswick Pharmacy in Stroud highlights the shop’s current best-sellers and underperformers – from sweet treats to alt carbs.

What’s Hot: Healthier confectionery

We have seen a rise in demand for healthier sweet options among those with young kids. We’re positioned near a school, so this is a big area for us. Parents are looking for minimal sugar, no artificial colourings and vegan options – even those who don’t identify as vegan. Wild Thingz sells well for us, as do the Just Wholefoods sweets. Wild Thingz come in two pack sizes: 25g (great for a small treat) with the larger 130g bag as a sharing pack. The Frutina ‘leathers’ are loved by all, with some parents buying six at a time, satisfying themselves and their children with 100% fruit and one of your Five a Day. Simple, but effective. They use dried fruit, so texture-wise for children it’s a similar feeling to mass-market chewy sweets, without the poor ingredients. They also contain natural fibre with no refined ingredients, are perfect for on-the-go and are allergy-friendly.

What’s Hot: Eco-friendly cleaning

This has really taken off. Consumers appear to be much more conscious about what they use on their bodies and around the home. The ‘no plastic’ movement is very evident in this area. We offer several ranges for the body, including Faith in Nature, Heavenly Organics, Earth Conscious, Kutis and Urtekram. The Ecover product range has expanded for us – the plant-based laundry liquids and cleaning sprays are very popular and reasonably priced.

What’s Hot: Cleaner dental hygiene

Wooden toothbrushes, toothpicks, plastic-free floss and non-fluoride toothpaste are in high demand and there’s an ever-expanding choice of products and brands continually entering the market. We’ve seen a huge uplift in bamboo and plastic-free dental products. We’ve also noticed a change in people’s toothpaste habits. Brands such as Gutology are proving very popular. This has changed the UK toothpaste market with its clever formulation, containing hydroxyapatite which helps the enamel on your teeth. It’s vegan, cruelty-free and free from SLS and parabens. Kids seem to love the Wild Strawberry version.

What’s Not: Carbohydrate alternatives

This snack category has seen a significant decrease, largely due to lack of taste and flavour. Kale crisps tend to be bitter, while seaweed snacks can have a fishy smell and aftertaste which puts people off. I think consumers who grew up with these flavours still enjoy them, but the population as a whole isn’t as accustomed to them. Consumers are looking for healthier versions but with more appealing textures and flavours. Those customers who do buy these products generally don’t repurchase them. Healthier popcorn snacks are proving more popular.

What’s Not: Multivitamins

Overall, the VMS market is booming, but it has taken on a new look. Shoppers are learning more about individualized health through online companies. Since COVID, consumers have become more concerned over the importance of their gut health. When collecting antibiotics prescriptions, many ask how to minimize their effect on the gut. Customers are looking for less plastic packaging, and traditional, generic vitamins still come in plastic tubs. The good old multivitamin has lost popularity, with more specialized vitamins like turmeric and natural sleep aids increasing in prevalence.

What’s Not: Skincare

This is one of those areas which really does fall into both ‘what’s hot’ and ‘what’s not’. Traditional skincare has taken a huge downturn, while eco-friendly, organic, vegan and cruelty-free beauty products are on the rise thanks to greater awareness of ‘green beauty’. Consumers now want to recognize the majority of the ingredients within. Refillable or glass bottles are greatly preferred over plastic packaging. The mainstream brands are trailing behind their new, natural counterparts. It can come down to price point, but for those who can afford to spend a little bit more on their skincare, they are choosing to spend it.

By Penny Kikic, Painswick Pharmacy