| The nutritional supplement industry in the United | | | | through this channel. |
| States has consolidated over the last 10-12 years | | | | The traditional mass market channel that includes |
| backed by rapid growth. Lately, the market is | | | | mass merchandisers, drug store chains, |
| showing modest growth but growth among the | | | | supermarkets, convenience stores and club stores |
| various distribution channels varies. The health | | | | is no more promising. Still, major industry players |
| practitioner channel has emerged as the fastest | | | | like NBTY and Leiner Health are banking on this |
| channel for nutritional supplement sales as | | | | channel for sales of their nutritional supplements. |
| nutritional advices is accessible through this | | | | The report analyzes the US nutritional supplement |
| channel. | | | | industry with specific focus on the vitamins and |
| The increasing growth of the direct sales industry | | | | multivitamins market. It assesses the various |
| (multi-level marketing) is also driving the growth of | | | | market and consumption trends for supplements |
| nutritional supplement market. This is because of | | | | and also the factors that are driving the growth |
| the fact that this channel uses the | | | | of this industry. It also captures the growth of |
| person-to-person mode of communication for | | | | various channels of distribution for supplements |
| elaborating the benefits of supplements. | | | | and the respective growth of these channels. The |
| However, it is the practitioner channel that is seen | | | | strategies of the major players in the nutritional |
| as the most lucrative delivery method as its | | | | supplement industry – Atrium (practitioner |
| growth has surpassed the broad supplement | | | | channel), NBTY and Leiner Health (mass market) |
| industry. Atrium has emerged as the leading | | | | and Herbalife and USANA Health (multi-level |
| player in practitioner channel and currently controls | | | | marketing) has also been evaluated in the report. |
| around 14% of nutritional supplement sales | | | | |