U.S. Dietary Supplements Online: 2023 Market Intelligence

Executive Summary#

Sales of vitamins, minerals and supplements (VMS) on a leading US marketplace reached USD 9.6 billion in 2023, a gain of 15.5% YoY, and we believe online channels have become central to how Americans buy dietary supplements. The most important structural feature of the market is its fragmentation, since the ten largest brands hold only a small share of sales between them, far below the 30–50% typical of mature consumer goods categories. For brands, including Chinese cross-border sellers building an international presence, this means a market where focused clinical positioning and marketing built for online channels can win a strong position in fast-growing niches. They can do so without first displacing an established incumbent. Three trends in the subcategories defined the opportunity in 2023: digestive supplements at USD 740 million, gummy formats growing over 50% YoY to USD 660 million, and the continuing premiumisation of mainstream vitamin formats, which is driven by awareness of preventive health among Millennial and Gen Z consumers.

The Global Market Backdrop: USD 176.2 Billion and Growing#

US online supplement sales sit within a larger global market. The global dietary supplements market reached USD 176.19 billion in 2023 and is projected to reach USD 346.36 billion by 2032, a CAGR of 7.8% over the forecast period. Supplementation is moving from a niche health behaviour to a preventive health norm across income groups and geographies.

North America carries much of that growth. The US dietary supplements market, the largest in the world, was valued at USD 66.75 billion in 2023 and is forecast to reach USD 132.04 billion by 2032 at a CAGR of approximately 8.90%, faster than the global average. Two demographic forces drive the US premium, an ageing Baby Boomer cohort with high rates of supplement use and a younger generation that is turning toward preventive health, encouraged by wellness content on social media and the spread of health devices.

Online, the wide choice of products, verified reviews and subscription repeat-order programmes have made marketplaces a natural place to buy supplements. Subscription programmes in particular create repeat revenue with relatively low customer acquisition costs, which favours supplement brands that have strong listings and a loyal base of reviews.

Categories: Where the 60%+ Sits and Where the Growth Is#

Vitamins, minerals and herbal supplements together accounted for more than 60% of VMS sales on the marketplace in 2023. Consumer familiarity with these core ingredient types, among them multivitamins, standalone vitamin D, vitamin C and B-complex supplements, underpins the scale of these subcategories. It also brings high search volume, dense reviews and predictable repeat purchases, which make these subcategories defensible for established brands.

The strongest growth in the category came from digestive supplements, which generated USD 740 million in 2023. Probiotics, prebiotics, digestive enzymes and fibre supplements have all benefited from greater consumer awareness of the role the gut microbiome plays in immunity, in mental health through the gut-brain axis and in metabolic function. Probiotic research has moved from clinical media into mainstream wellness content and influencer channels, and this has created sustained demand from consumers. We believe the subcategory remains underpenetrated relative to the wider VMS market, which leaves considerable room for established supplement brands extending into digestive health and for challenger brands entering with science-backed formulations.

The category also includes enzymes, amino acids and herbal supplements, each with its own pattern of demand. Herbal supplements benefit from growing consumer interest in traditional and botanical approaches to health, while amino acids are closely linked to sports nutrition and muscle recovery, a segment where purchase intent and average order values are high.

Brand Structure: A Fragmented Market#

Despite USD 9.6 billion in annual sales, the VMS brand structure on the marketplace is highly fragmented. The ten largest brands hold only a small share of the market between them, while in mature fast-moving consumer goods categories the ten largest typically hold 30–50%, and that gap is the most commercially significant structural feature of the market.

We believe the fragmentation reflects the genuine variety of what supplement consumers want. Health goals vary from immunity and energy to gut health and beauty, preferred dosage forms vary between capsules, gummies and powders, and lifestyle segments range from sports performance to seniors and general wellness. No single brand can address all of these at scale without losing the clarity of its positioning. The variety therefore stops any one brand from taking most of the market and leaves room for focused challengers to build a meaningful position in their niches.

For brands considering cross-border expansion from China into the US online market, this structure is an important signal. In categories where established players would need heavy spending to displace, entry is costly, whereas the VMS market rewards clinical differentiation, specific formulations and good content on the product page. We believe a well-positioned brand in a defensible subcategory, for example digestive health, women's wellness or sports amino acids, can win a large position relative to its investment.

Format Innovation: Gummies Grow Over 50% YoY#

Capsules hold the largest single format share, at 47% of VMS sales on the marketplace. Their position reflects decades of manufacturing scale, established efficacy profiles, good shelf stability and unit economics that favour high-volume supplement production, and tablets, softgels and powders make up much of the rest of the traditional format segment.

Gummy supplements are changing the competitive picture, however. Gummy sales on the marketplace reached USD 660 million in 2023, with growth of over 50% YoY, the highest rate among all dosage forms. A Harris Poll survey measures the change in behaviour: 28.0% of US adults tried vitamin gummies in the past year, and 53.0% of those reported daily use. That rate of conversion from trial to a daily habit is unusually high for a new dosage format. We believe it is because gummies remove the psychological friction of taking a supplement as if it were medication, which widens the market to people who avoid traditional pills.

The format also helps brand identity. Gummy supplements are visible and photogenic, which helps them perform in social content and as gifts, and both of these drive demand online. Brands with established positions in capsules face a strategic choice. They can extend credibly into gummy or liquid formats, or accept a gradual loss of share as consumer preference continues to move toward dosage forms that are easy to take every day.

Liquid supplements and functional food formats are the next area of innovation. Manufacturers are beginning to put research and development into stable, palatable liquid products, and we believe this will put further pressure on traditional formats over the next three to five years.

Key Takeaways#

• VMS sales on a leading US marketplace reached USD 9.6 billion in 2023, a gain of 15.5% YoY.
• The global dietary supplements market reached USD 176.19 billion in 2023 and is projected to reach USD 346.36 billion by 2032 (CAGR 7.8%). The US market alone is forecast to grow at a CAGR of 8.90% to USD 132.04 billion by 2032.
• Vitamins, minerals and herbal supplements account for more than 60% of category sales combined, and digestive supplements, including probiotics, prebiotics and digestive enzymes, are the fastest-growing subcategory at USD 740 million.
• Gummy supplements reached USD 660 million in 2023 with growth of over 50% YoY, and 53.0% of US adults who tried vitamin gummies reported daily use, while capsules keep a 47% format share against growing competition.
• The ten largest brands hold only a small share of the market, far below the 30–50% norm in mature FMCG categories, which we believe gives focused entrants a real opportunity.

About the Data#

This analysis draws on Moojing Market Intelligence data on the US dietary supplements category on one leading US marketplace. Moojing Market Intelligence (魔镜洞察) analyses sales performance and consumer demand across leading e-commerce marketplaces. Sales and unit data are from MoAnalysis, Moojing's cross-border e-commerce analytics platform, and cover the full 2023 calendar year. Consumer survey data are from Harris Poll.