Trend tracker: Analysis on Indonesia's nutra market, Google searches on probiotics, and more

Breaking barriers: How to crack Indonesia’s supplement market with new formats, retail channels, and digital power – Exclusive analysis​ ​

Indonesia’s dietary supplement market is still at a nascent stage as compared to several other South East Asian (SEA) neighbours, but industry players are seeing opportunities in attracting new consumers by introducing products in lifestyle formats, tapping on the power of social media, and growing their presence in lower tier cities.

Currently, the general observation is that Indonesian consumers tend to take supplements when they are feeling unwell.

However, the rise of social commerce such as TikTok shop is becoming a revenue where brands could introduce lifestyle format supplements, such as gummies, to more consumers.

‘Quality over quantity’: Nutrition consumers prioritising value and efficacy – Nutiani data​

Consumers coping with rising costs of living are showing a distinct preference for value-for-money products that not only come with an accessible price tag, but are also backed by science and multifunctional, latest data from Fonterra-owned Nutiani has shown.

In a survey comprising of 2,500 consumers from China, Japan, South Korea, the UK and US, price was chosen as the top factor behind purchasing decisions.

As such, products with high value-for-money are gaining favour. For example, 51 per cent of respondents stated a preference for products with multiple health benefits.

Google Trends shows Australia tops global searches for gut microbiome, gut probiotics​

An analysis of Google Trends has found that Australia has the highest number of searches for the terms “gut microbiome”, “gut probiotics”, and “dysbiosis” globally, signifying the country’s interest in this category.

The findings, published on Scientific Reports, ​also reported that Asia-Pacific countries such as New Zealand and Singapore were in the top 10 countries with the highest searches on these terms.

Singapore, for instance, ranked fourth in the volume of searches for “gut microbiome” and “gut probiotics”, and ranked number 10 for search volume on “dysbiosis”.

Opportunities for beauty-from-within abound in China and India, with young consumers, niche ingredients key​

Companies aiming to tap into China and India’s ingestible beauty markets should target young consumers and utilise proven ingredients to push growth, say industry experts.

An elevated emphasis on personal well-being, greater consumption of dietary supplements, and multi-function claims that serve both health and aesthetics needs are said to be some of the key factors driving the nutricosmetics sector.

In Asia, a sizeable market share is held by China, where increasing consumer demand and spending in this category has prompted companies to venture further into it.

Trending this year: Five nutra developments not to be missed for 2024​

As we step into 2024, we dive into the five key trends that health and nutrition brands believe will dominate the sector in Asia-Pacific this year, spanning categories such as metabolic health, immunity, skin health, gut microbiome, and mobility.

For example, tackling metabolic health conditions through the gut microbiome and the use of phytonutrients is one of the key trends identified for this year, according to Australian plant-based nutrition company eimele.

The gut-skin axis is also cited as the trend moving forward, says Australia’s JSHealth, which is known for its hair growth supplement and has been on a rapid expansion into the US and Europe.