Bayer leads sales, ads in nasal sprays

The nasal spray segment is up 2% from the previous year in the drug channel. Nasal spray segment leaders Afrin (Bayer), NeilMed and private label have all increased sales in the last year. Private label nasal sprays and Afrin both rose 6%, while NeilMed sinus rinse brand saw the largest increase in the segment at 14.3% — all NeilMed products rose 7%.

(To view the full Promo Watch report, click here.)



There was a marked move in sales away from niche brand names to more established players in the nasal spray segment. Many smaller brands saw double-digit decreases: NasalCrom and Little Noses fell 17.8% and 22.6%, respectively. Other brands also saw slight decreases: Zicam (Zicam LLC) fell 2%, while Simply Saline (Church & Dwight) fell 3.5%.



According to Competitive Promotion Report, among the top 5 brands in the nasal spray segment, NeilMed saw the lowest average margin percent in the drug channel, but saw somewhat higher margin percentages than Afrin did in the mass and food channels. Afrin also saw the widest spread of margins — 19% in mass and 40% in drug, a 21% difference. In contrast, NeilMed saw a spread of only 8% in margins between mass (29%) and drug (37%).



NeilMed was the only brand to see a significant drop in feature ads, from 102 to 64. Private-label brands increased circulars by 60%, from 222 to 356, in the drug channel, leading to a 6% increase in sales. Afrin, Vicks Sinex and Zicam also all increased feature ad support this year in the drug channel. Afrin’s increase in ad support led to it having the highest national brand count of feature ads this year (106).



DSN has partnered with Competitive Promotion Report, IRI and Market Track to create a series of exclusive reports. This article highlights the market performance of major manufacturers in the nasal spray segment within the nasal products category. The results in this study reflect the leading brands/manufacturers in the segment in terms of retail sales, list price changes, average retailer margins and promotional ad activity.



CPR is a leading provider of competitive market intelligence and insights in the health, beauty and wellness industry. Learn more by visiting competitivepromotion.com