2014 And Beyond

The demand for natural food and natural medicine will continue to grow for decades to come.

• The natural and traditional grocery stores will experience ongoing consumer demand for organic foods. Mainstream grocery and drug will continue to create more space for natural health products. Natural health products may reach the tipping point over the next five years.

• In 2015, 65 year olds will outnumber all other ages, so in 15 years, the 80’s will be the predominant age in Canada…

• Boomers will want a better quality of life than is currently being experienced by 75’ers.  The majority are unhealthy, with brain disorders, bodily functions out of control, in pain or have a serious illness, and on 10 or more prescription drugs.  I believe at least 20 per cent of boomers will look to natural health products to ease their way through the aging process.

• Every day for the next 17 years, 10,000 people will turn 65 in North America.

• Home delivery for food and medicine will increase in coming years due to seniors unable to get out and about.

• Urban population is expected to grow dramatically as aging boomers move closer to amenities.

• How do you market to a nine second attention-span audience? Who has time to read an email over one paragraph long without their mind wandering? We live in an ADD techno- illogical society. Holding a consumer’s attention will be an ongoing challenge for marketers.

• The ability to stay connected to customers and remain relevant will be a major challenge as brand loyalty is becoming a thing of the past.

• Natural medicine is safer and proven as effective, in many cases, as pharmaceutical OTC drugs and prescription drugs. Though a slow process, I see more MDs, integrative clinics and hospitals using natural health products as the first choice of medicine and prevention.

• Next to boomers, there are more early 20 year olds. Over the next 15 years, they will be mid-30’s, have families and become the next major influencer of market trends. How do you message to them? They are a major reason sports nutrition is so big, with so much future growth!

• Facebook is the best retail promotion for some stores and this should continue to grow as we live in the time of connection. Connecting with your most loyal customers and communicating messages that assist their overall well-being, not just your bottom line, will resonate best with consumers of natural health products.  Give recipes, exercises, health tips.  A sales pitch is okay, but should only be in every four to five communications you send out.

• Stories will be the best form of promotion/communication as they keep a person’s attention and appeal to their emotions.

• Think – how can I best communicate with my community, the homes and businesses around your store where your customers work or live?  How can you make their lives better, easier, happier through the products and services you provide?

• I have no idea what will happen to traditional media as it becomes more difficult to hold a person’s attention, especially young people who are averaging seven hours a day on their handheld.  Perhaps one day we will truly position ourselves in the consumers mind with neurotransmitter billboard apps.

• Did you find 2013 growth not as expected?  Was it due to less Dr. Oz motivated sales?

• Natural health products will be sold everywhere - convenience stores, vending machines, hospitals…I can dream, can’t I?

• Your database is golden…so, treat it like that.

• Will you please text me when my product comes into your store?

Overview:

   We are all in a business well-positioned for generations of careers to come…

   ‘I love what I do!’ is a statement I hear from pretty much everyone I meet in the industry.

   Sure, work has its dramas.  However, to work in a job where you help make a positive difference in people’s lives is a reward without compare.

   Happy Sales!  •