Given that joint and bone health have historically been dominated by slower-acting ingredients such as glucosamine, chondroitin, calcium and vitamin D, supplement growth rates in these categories have matched their maintenance activity mechanisms. These markets did not see a huge bump during the pandemic, as did immune health. Nutrition Business Journal (NBJ) logged a faint .5% compound annual growth rate (CAGR) in 2020 for joint supplements in the U.S., down from 2.4% in 2019. However, NBJ projected a 5.5% growth rate through 2023 to bring this market to US$2.3 billion.

Looking at one of the biggest U.S. retailers of dietary supplements, Amazon, ClearCut Analytics found the joint health supplement category logged 51% year-over-year (YoY) growth from June 1, 2020 to May 31, 2021. However, the average price in this category ($24.79) remained relatively flat during this period, compared to the prior 12-month period ($12.32).

This category at Amazon focuses on supplement complexes targeted toward joint health, including any collagen, turmeric, glucosamine and chondroitin products marketed for joint health/support. One look at the most recent top five joint supplements by sales reveals the collagen buzz is translating to sales and curcumin/turmeric is a popular anti-inflammatory for joint health consumers.

The top three joint supplements belong to the top three brands in this Amazon category—Vital Proteins, Bio Schwartz and LiveWell Labs Nutrition (Live Conscious)—with Qunol and Oste-Bi-Flex rounding out the rankings. Looking slightly wider, the top 10 joint supplement brands held 41% of this Amazon category in the 12 months ending May 31, 2021.

Further, the top five joint supplements at Amazon reflect the top two delivery methods by market share. Capsules held a 32% market share in the recent 12-month period, while powders came in second with 18%. Powdered supplements were near the top of delivery method growth during the period (72%), bested only by softgels (82%), which still holds only a slim 3% market share of the category.

The “Joint and bone health to maximize movement” digital magazine contains the full version of this article, along with other content on the category. Click the link to access it.

Dan Harari is vice president of business development for ClearCut Analytics, a retail insights and eCommerce services provider based in Chicago, Illinois.            

Steve Myers is content director at Informa Markets.