43% of Germans use sports nutrition (SN) products and 16-24s are core users, meaning the majority of Germans are non-users. Yet, eight in 10 Germans exercise, posing an opportunity to further push SN as necessary exercise accompaniment. A 5 percentage point user cohort growth since 2021 (38%) indicates a rising mass market appeal of SN despite traditionally targeted at high-performance sports/fitness users.
Ingredient price rises have prompted 49% of users/buyers to buy SN more on promotion, while 36% switched from brands to own labels, mirroring the entrenched role of own-label foods/ drinks in Germans’ shopping habits. A growing democratisation via own-label SN products is therefore likely, leveraging price perception advantages and trust in established grocery retailers.
SN brands’ challenge and opportunity is Germany’s ageing population, as SN usage among over-65s is currently low. When people age, exercise frequency decreases due to declining physical strength, yet only 26% of over-65s are not exercising. This presents a major chance for SN brands to target over-65s with SN carrying relevant benefits like prolonging physical strength.
Further, amidst government efforts to boost healthy diets and consumer concerns around ‘ultra-processed foods’, natural and plant-based SN reformulations could improve the category’s image.
Meet the Expert Behind the Analysis
Targeting an ageing society and moderate exercisers via customisation, evidence-based claims and less processed, natural offerings could unlock category growth.
Katrin Förster, Food & Drink Research Analyst, Germany
Collapse All
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- Key issues covered in this Report
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EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
- Market context
- Mintel predicts
- Graph 1: performance nutrition launches, by private label, 2019-23
- Opportunities
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MARKET DRIVERS
- The German economy
- Graph 2: key economic data, in real terms, 2019-25
- Graph 3: financial confidence index, 2022-23
- Personal health and demographic changes
- Graph 4: projected share of adult population, by age group, 2022-32
- Graph 5: frequency of exercising for at least 30 minutes, by age, 2023
- Graph 6: frequency of eating healthily, 2020-23
- Graph 7: top factors when shopping for food*, 2022 vs 2023
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WHAT CONSUMERS WANT AND WHY
- Frequency of exercising
- Graph 8: change in frequency of exercising over the last 12 months, 2023
- Consumption of sports nutrition products
- Graph 9: usage of food and drink tailored for taking part in sport/exercise, 2021 vs 2023
- Graph 10: consumption frequency of food and drink tailored for taking part in sport/exercise, 2023
- Spending behaviour in the context of sports nutrition products
- Graph 11: purchase of food and drink tailored for taking part in sport/exercise, by age groups, 2023
- Graph 12: impact of less spending money on purchase behaviour of sports nutrition products, 2023
- Aspects prioritised in sports nutrition products
- Graph 13: aspects influencing the choice of one sports nutrition product over another, 2023
- Benefits expected in sports nutrition
- Graph 14: ranking of benefits to prioritise in sports nutrition, 2023
- Behaviours related to food and drink tailored for taking part in sport/exercise
- Graph 15: behaviours related to food and drink tailored to take part in exercise/sports, 2023
- Attitudes towards sports nutrition
- Graph 16: attitudes towards food and drink tailored to take part in exercise/sports, 2023
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LAUNCH ACTIVITY AND INNOVATION
- Graph 17: performance nutrition launches, by category shares, 2019-23
- Graph 18: performance nutrition launches within food and drink, 2019-23
- Graph 19: product launches in performance nutrition market, by top five positioning claims, 2019-23
- Graph 20: performance nutrition launches, by top claims, 2019 vs 2023
- Graph 21: performance nutrition launches, by top claim categories, 2019 vs 2023
- Graph 22: performance nutrition launches, by high/added protein claim, 2016-23
- Graph 23: food and drink launches*, by high/added protein claim, 2016-23
- Graph 24: performance nutrition launches, by ‘natural’ claims, 2019 vs 23
- Graph 25: performance nutrition launches, by top ten ultimate companies, 2021-23
- Graph 26: performance nutrition launches, by private label, 2019-23
- Advertising and marketing activity
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APPENDIX
- Appendix – products covered, abbreviations, consumer research methodology and language usage
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