Homeopathy interest up online, boosts sales

The safety and efficacy debate around several children’s cough-cold ingredients over the past few years, the spate of recalls of several pediatric products in the past year and the more recent media-driven concern over a child accidentally overdosing are all helping to raise awareness of homeopathic solutions, especially as those are the kinds of issues that drive moms to the Internet in search of answers.

And with an ever-increasing online presence between Boiron and Hyland’s, that’s also where she learns that homeopathy may be the answer. It’s that increased awareness, in part generated by consumers’ online research, that will continue to drive sales in the coming year.

According to a survey commissioned by Boiron, tomorrow’s homeopathy consumer holds a lot of promise. Today, almost 1-in-3 consumers have used a homeopathic product. But out of the remaining two-thirds, more than half of those consumers are interested in trying homeopathic medicines. And overall, people who buy homeopathy buy more, Boiron found.

“Homeopathic consumers ... shop more [frequently] and they spend more,” said John Durkin, Boiron VP sales and marketing. Specifically in drug stores, baskets with homeopathic medicines have an average value of $42, in comparison to $21 for those that don’t.

The article above is part of the DSN Category Review Series. For the complete Homeopathy Buy-In Report, including extensive charts, data and more analysis, click here.