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Executive Summary
- Opportunities for the OTC analgesics and cough, cold and flu remedies market
- Innovation is needed to facilitate growth
- Address women’s pain
- Market to niche audiences to better engage consumers
- Market dynamics and outlook
- OTC analgesics and cough, cold and flu remedies market size & forecast
- OTC value sales recover from COVID-19 dip
- Market predictions
- The market settles back into steady growth
- Own-label’s success threatens to erode value growth
- What consumers want and why
- Pains and ailments are widely experienced
- Graph 1: types of pains/ailments experienced in the last 12 months, 2023 vs 2024
- Oral remedies are a go-to for many pains and ailments
- Graph 2: net of treatments used for pains/ailments experienced in the last 12 months, 2024
- Paracetamol is most-favoured oral remedy for pain
- Graph 3: use of topical over-the-counter remedies in the last 12 months to ease a pain, 2023 vs 2024
- Graph 4: types of oral over-the-counter remedies taken in the last 12 months to ease a pain, 2023 vs 2024
- Consumers are seeking natural alternatives
- Graph 5: attitudes towards natural remedies, 2024
- Cost concerns is the biggest barrier to P-meds
- Graph 6: barriers to purchasing a pharmacy-only remedy for a pain/ailment, 2024
- Innovation and marketing
- New packaging launches dominate
- Graph 7: pain relief launches, by launch type, 2020-24
- Graph 8: decongestive, cough, cold and flu relief launches, by launch type, 2020-24
- Cough, cold and flu innovation
- Analgesics innovation
- Naturals continue to make headway in cross-category NPD
- Marketing highlights
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Market Dynamics
- Market size
- OTC value sales recover from COVID-19 dip
- Graph 9: retail value sales of OTC analgesics and cough, cold and flu remedies, 2019-23
- Market forecast
- The market settles back into steady growth
- Opportunities
- Threats
- Learnings from the last income squeeze
- Market segmentation
- Paediatric analgesics retail sales decline as birth rates fall
- Demand for medicated confectionery grows
- Channels to market
- Chemists and drugstores struggle as consumers prioritise convenience
- Grocery retailers remain a one-stop shop
- Market share
- Calpol sees a significant decline in its analgesics sales
- Own-label’s success threatens to erode value growth in analgesics
- Beechams succeeds in cold, flu and decongestants segment
- Day and Night Nurses impacted by pholcodine withdrawal
- Covonia sees big decline after 2022 COVID-19 spike
- Largest outbreak of whooping cough in 10 years boosts demand for Robitussin
- Positive growth seen across the board for medicated confectionery
- Jakemans extends usage beyond cough, cold and flu
- Macro-economic factors
- Falling inflation has reduced pressure on household finances
- Graph 10: CPI inflation rate, 2021-24
- The ageing population poses a threat
- Graph 11: predicted change in the age structure of the UK population, 2023-28
- Birth rate continues to decline
- Pharmacies gain more authority
- Shift to supporting healthy lifestyles as consumers adopt healthy habits
- Graph 12: health management techniques used to be healthy, 2023
- Reclassification of codeine linctus to POM
- Increasing stress levels is causing head and body pain
- Graph 13: side effects of stress experienced in the last 12 months, 2023
- AI can disrupt the market
- The flu vaccine sees a decrease in uptake
- Graph 14: uptake of the flu vaccine in England, by vaccination cohorts*, 2022-23 vs 2023-24
- Phenylephrine’s effectiveness called into question
- Alcohol consumption decreases amongst Gen Z
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What Consumers Want and Why
- Type of pain experienced
- Most consumers are experiencing pains and/or ailments
- Pains and ailments are widely experienced
- Graph 15: types of pains/ailments experienced in the last 12 months, 2023 vs 2024
- Body pain is experienced equally, regardless of age
- Graph 16: experience of any body pain in the last 12 months, by age, 2024
- Older adults are less prone to ailments
- Graph 17: experience of select pains/ailments in the last 12 months, by age, 2024
- Body pain is common
- Women are significantly more likely to experience pain…
- Graph 18: experience of select pains/ailments in the last 12 months, by gender, 2024
- …and period pain is particularly prevalent
- Headaches and migraines are common
- Engage lower earners experiencing back pain through representation
- Graph 19: experience of back pain in the last 12 months, by annual household income, 2024
- Treatment of pain
- Oral remedies are a go-to for many pains and ailments
- Graph 20: types of treatment used for pains/ailments experienced in the last 12 months, 2024
- Oral OTC remedy usage far outpace topical remedy usage
- Demand for naturals boosts usage of homemade remedies
- Graph 21: types of treatment used for head pain in the last 12 months, 2023 vs 2024
- Approval of gepants for migraines pose opportunity
- Added sleep benefits will appeal to those who sleep/rest
- Graph 22: pain relief, decongestive, cough, cold and flu launches carrying stress and sleep claims, 2020-24
- Exercise is a popular treatment for body pain
- Graph 23: types of treatment used for body pain in the last 12 months, 2023 vs 2024
- Collaborate with professional services to increase visibility
- Seek out partnerships with gyms
- Period pain is an issue for most menstruators
- Graph 24: types of treatment used for menstrual pain in the last 12 months, 2023 vs 2024
- Women seek out prescriptions for period pain
- Oral treatments used
- Paracetamol is most-favoured oral remedy for pain
- Graph 25: types of oral over-the-counter remedies used in the last 12 months to ease a pain, 2023 vs 2024
- Paracetamol loses out to combination tablets
- Position combination tablets to those who combine oral remedies
- Graph 26: repertoire of types of oral over-the-counter remedies used in the last 12 months to ease a pain, 2024
- Faster-acting formats see usage growth
- Topical treatments used
- Heat and cool wraps see an uptick in usage
- Graph 27: types of topical over-the-counter remedies used in the last 12 months to ease a pain, 2023 vs 2024
- Encourage broader repertoires with bundles
- Graph 28: repertoire of types of topical over-the-counter remedies used in the last 12 months to ease a pain, 2024
- Heat and cool wraps can extend into period care
- Interest in brand innovation and education
- Format innovation peaks consumers interest
- Graph 29: interest in brand innovation and education, 2024
- White space for championing women’s health
- Look to DEI innovation for format inspiration
- Consumer are looking for education
- Attitudes towards natural remedies
- Consumers are seeking natural alternatives
- Naturals can bridge perceived efficacy gap with science
- Younger Millennials’ trust in claims bodes well for natural products
- Graph 30: % of oral/topical OTC remedy users who think natural remedies are just as effective as medicated products, by generation, 2024
- Behaviours related to pain relief and trust in remedies
- Consumer behaviours may be hindering efficacy
- Graph 31: behaviours related to pain relief and trust in remedies, 2024
- 25-34 year olds are most likely to manage health through lifestyle
- Encourage prompt usage for better pain management
- Graph 32: % of oral/topical OTC remedy users who delay taking remedies for as long as they can, by age, 2024
- Consumers are unsure what remedies to take
- Many users carry remedies on the go
- Build trust by sharing information
- Attitudes toward pharmacy-only remedies
- Opportunities exist to boost pharmacy-only remedy use
- Graph 33: likelihood to purchase a pharmacy-only remedy for a pain/ailment, 2024
- Consumers are willing to purchase pharmacy-only remedies
- Step up advertising as P-meds are well placed for growth
- Online pharmacies boost Younger Millennials’ use
- Graph 34: likelihood to purchase a pharmacy-only remedy for a pain/ailment, by generation, 2024
- Cost concerns are the biggest barrier to P-meds
- Graph 35: barriers to purchasing a pharmacy-only remedy for a pain/ailment, 2024
- Dispel ideals of P-meds as highly priced
- Help younger consumers feel in control with browsable websites
- Graph 36: % of respondents who like to browse/view remedies in-store ahead of purchase, by age, 2024
- Support needed for parents of young children
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Innovation And Marketing Trends
- Cough, cold and flu remedies launch activity and innovation
- New packaging dominates cough, cold and flu launches
- Graph 37: decongestive, cough, cold and flu relief launches, by launch type, 2020-24
- Reckitt Benckiser dominates launch activity with new packaging launches
- Graph 38: decongestive, cough, cold and flu relief launches, by ultimate company, 2023
- Lemsip packaging updated to be more eye-catching
- J&J brings natural brand to the UK market
- Liquid NPD coincides with increased consumer use
- Graph 39: decongestive, cough, cold and flu relief launches, by format type, 2020-24
- Gummy formats take centre-stage in children’s remedies
- Format experimentation brings innovation to OTC
- Eco-ethical claims are on the rise
- Graph 40: decongestive, cough, cold and flu relief launches, by top 10 claims* based on 2023, 2022 vs 2023
- Haleon supports pharmacists with educational guides
- Analgesics launch activity and innovation
- Meet consumer interest in education when re-packaging
- Graph 41: pain relief launches, by launch type, 2020-24
- Walgreens Boots Alliance remains a lead innovator
- Graph 42: pain relief launches, by ultimate company, 2023
- Leading innovators relaunch, repackage and launch new products
- Eco-ethical claims see the most growth
- Graph 43: pain relief launches, by top 10 claims* based on 2023, 2022 vs 2023
- Aldi partners with TeraCycle to improve recyclability
- Voltarol moves into natural topicals
- Tablets and capsules increase share of launches
- Graph 44: pain relief launches, by format type, 2020-24
- ProteQt cool down prices in an attempt to compete
- Organon advocates for women’s health
- Cough, cold and flu remedies advertising and marketing activity
- Difflam buck outdoor spend decline
- Vicks’ advertisements boosts P&G ad spend
- Graph 45: recorded above-the-line, online display and direct mail advertising expenditure on OTC cough, cold and flu remedies, by leading advertisers, 2023
- Zarbee’s launches in the UK with TV advert
- Medicated confectionery brands stress naturality and ingredient quality
- Otrivine stresses convenience with new nasal mist
- Analgesics advertising and marketing activity
- Outdoor ad spend sees growth
- Reckitt gains ground on Haleon
- Graph 46: recorded above-the-line, online display and direct mail advertising expenditure on OTC analgesics, by leading advertisers, 2023
- Nurofen raises awareness around the gender pain gap
- Voltarol partners with London Marathon
- Boots brings back its free health MOT…
- …and promotes its new pain relief selector tool
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Brand Research
- Key brand metrics: OTC brands are highly recommended
- Strepsils benefits from strong brand awareness
- Brand map: Voltarol sees high trust
- Anadin can enhance expert perceptions
- Brand attitudes: Voltarol is perceived as high quality
- Opportunity for customer acquisition by Voltarol
- Brand micro image: Buttercup’s natural USP lends itself to a quirky image
- Buttercup can better showcase its natural USP
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Appendix
- Supplementary data
- Trends in the age structure of the UK population
- Market forecast data and methodology
- Market size and forecast: constant and current prices (total)
- Market forecast: prediction intervals (total)
- Market forecast: fan chart (analgesics)
- Market size and forecast: constant and current prices (analgesics)
- Market forecast: prediction intervals (analgesics)
- Market forecast: fan chart (cough, cold and flu)
- Market size and forecast: constant and current prices (cough, cold and flu)
- Market forecast: prediction intervals (cough, cold and flu)
- Forecast methodology
- Report scope and definitions
- Products covered in this Report
- Abbreviations and terms
- Methodology
- Consumer research methodology
- Nielsen Ad Intel coverage
Stay ahead of the curve and future-proof your business with Mintel’s UK OTC, Analgesic and Cough, Cold and Flu Remedies Market Report 2024. Our full report is packed with consumer-led market intelligence, the latest cold and allergy OTC market research, trends, and consumer behaviours affecting your business. Get a 360° view of the OTC cold and flu remedies market including forecasted growth to help you align your business strategy with the needs of your audience.
Below, we’ve handpicked the key insights analysed in the full report and summarised the core topics.
Topics the Full Report Discusses
- Experience of pains and ailments, and the remedies used to treat them.
- Opportunities to disrupt the OTC cold and flue remedies market with format innovation.
- How to tailor NPD and marketing to underserved consumer groups.
- The impact of wellness culture on consumer behaviour.
- How brands in the cold and allergy OTC market can meet the interest in natural remedies, while addressing concerns about efficacy.
- The impact of the Pharmacy First initiative on spending.
- Opportunities to educate consumers and spotlight R&D to drive usage.
OTC Cough and Cold Market Outlook
The cost-of-living crisis encourages trading down
Consumers generally have a positive view of own-label remedies, particularly in the oral OTC analgesic remedy segment, as they prioritise active ingredients when looking for these products. Therefore, the cost-of-living crisis has encouraged savvy shopping behaviors, leading consumers to choose the cheapest option, which in-turn has impacted value growth.
OTC Cold and Flu Remedies Market Trends, Challenges and Opportunities
Holistic approaches to health threaten growth
The wellness movement is causing people to take a holistic approach to treating their pain and/or ailments, with consumers already likely to delay taking remedies. Brands in the OTC cough and cold market can mitigate this possibility by positioning themselves as a part of a holistic routine and by incorporating natural ingredients into remedies.
Fill in the research gaps surrounding women’s pain
Women are experiencing high levels of pain, in some instances significantly more so than men. As medical research has often overlooked women, there is an opportunity to fill in the research gaps and create adequate remedies for women – especially as women become more informed about the gender pain gap through books and podcasts.
- OTC cold flu and remedies market trends: 57% of UK adults who menstruate experienced period pain in the last 12 months
Readers of this report may also be interested in our UK Managing Skin Conditions and Allergies Market Report 2024, or our range of Health and Wellbeing Market Research.
Meet the Expert
Dionne is responsible for researching, writing and publishing the annual beauty, personal care and healthcare reports. They have recently completed a Masters in Cosmetic Science at London College of Fashion where they focused on the sustainability of cosmetic ingredients and technologies.
Download Report SummaryUsage of pain and ailment remedies remains high, reflecting the market’s essential nature. Natural alternatives continue to launch, but still do not meet consumer demand.
Dionne Officer
Research Analyst – BPC Innovation
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