Burnout, insomnia, stress or nocturnal awakenings are conditions which affect an ever-growing number of people. Health professionals offer suitable treatments to these ailments of the 21st century, treating them in a more and more specific way. Even if we regret the causes, we can’t help but be happy about the effects: the stress/sleep market has never been so pioneering as it reacts to the challenges set by new, more intense lifestyles. With convincing results in France: the ‘humour/stress/sleep’ segment value represents almost 20% of dietary supplement sales in chemists and drug stores, representing almost €200 million in 2018. Let’s take a look at this promising market and why it is so successful.
Societal Changes as Growth Levers
61% of French people declare that they are tired and young 20 to 35-year-old workers are particularly affected1. Real societal challenges lie behind this simple observation! Separating one’s private life from one’s professional life has become more and more difficult with the advent of technology. In this context, the challenge to be met is firstly finding a balance, which necessitates addressing problems at their source. However, very many consumers are in search of immediate solutions for the consequences of more intense lifestyles, staggered working hours and striving for more involving career success.
A Hyper Segmentation of Offerings and/or Targets
In the space of a few years, we moved from a very general market, with ‘all-inclusive’ offerings related to stress and sleep, to a hyper-segmented market with a multitude of offerings. This is due to both a better appreciation and a better understanding of modern phenomena such as burnout which were previously unmentionable. From this, products designed for very specific problems have emerged (different types of fatigue for example), and can be found next to ‘holistic’ formulas which cover several problems with one formula.
Some examples:
- Stress
- Burnout
- Restless sleep
- Night or staggered shifts
- Difficulty falling asleep
- Exam preparation
The quest for effectiveness and productivity is translated by the success of stimulating formulas destined to improve cognitive functions. It is no surprise that we find them next to relaxing products as both offerings are intimately linked.
All levels of the stress/sleep/humour segment are pioneering: whether through galenics, with an emphasis being placed on roaming (unidoses, orodispersible tablets or even triple-layer tablets), more and more targeted allegations (fighting against the effects of jet lag, insomnia due to withdrawal, etc.) and both natural and technical ingredients.
Trending Ingredients, from Technicality to Tradition
It is no surprise that we find ingredients which are well known to the public, often derived from the traditional pharmacopoeia such as plants associated with relaxation: lemon balm, passiflora and valerian, etc. often associated with melatonin, the sleep molecule secreted by the brain in darkness which helps falling asleep.
PiLeJe Industrie has turnkey solutions for several offerings such as relaxation with its PhytoMag formula, which associates eschscholzia, vitamins and minerals or help falling asleep with the Melatonin product, using the joint action of melatonin and passionflower.
Therefore, we find specific and technical ingredients alongside plant extracts endorsed by the consumer in more complete formulas. The segment remains committed to the naturalness trend, in addition to plants, we use ingredients such as magnesium of marine origin which is very successful. Humour plants are emerging and should be noted such as rhodiola and ashwagandha which are becoming more and more well-known and trusted as the years and studies go by.
Do you plan on developing a stress/sleep oriented product? Our team will guide and support you with their expertise. Don’t hesitate to contact us!
Sources :
1. Ameli-santé.fr