Self-care Innovation and Market Trends

The session delivered by Thomas Heil, Vice President – Germany, IQVIA Consumer Health at the 2025 AESGP Annual Meeting, provides a comprehensive analysis of current trends in the European and global OTC/self-care markets. It explores category performance, geographic growth variations, and the continued impact of prevention-focused health solutions.

Special emphasis is placed on the rise of e-commerce, the changing role of brick-and-mortar pharmacies, and the growing influence of digital platforms on purchasing behaviour. The session also highlights the dynamics between global corporations and agile local players—and what this means for future growth.

Key Discussions You Won’t Want to Miss:

• Market Growth Trends: A detailed look at global and European OTC market performance, including post-COVID recovery, regional differences, and projected trajectories.
• Category Spotlight: Prevention is a dominant growth driver. Vitamins, minerals, supplements, and probiotics continue to outperform, driven by long-term health trends.
• E-Commerce Acceleration: A clear shift from offline to online sales, with Amazon and DTC models capturing a growing share of consumer health purchases.
• Local vs Global Players: How agile local companies are capturing growth through strong market relevance, while larger multinationals continue to adapt their strategies to evolving consumer and channel dynamics.
• Retail Channel Disruption: The decline in physical pharmacies, especially in Germany, highlights the changing role of brick-and-mortar retail in the consumer health journey.

See video timecodes below:

00:00:35 – European Market Focus. Europe’s performance relative to global averages and influencing macro factors.

00:02:08 – Global Market Overview. A 6.4% growth rate across the global OTC market; Europe remains the largest region.

00:03:14 – Regional Performance. Diverse market outlooks across Asia, Latin America, and China—with Europe showing strong stability.

00:04:12 – Fragmented Market. Top 10 corporations hold just 25% of the European market, showing space for challengers.

00:05:09 – Corporate Performance. Only four of the top ten companies are outperforming market growth.

00:05:36 – Rise of Local Players. Local companies are nimble, market-sensitive, and growing faster in some segments.

00:06:03 – Category Leadership. Prevention-related categories (vitamins, minerals, probiotics) dominate growth rates.

00:07:05 – Long-Term Trends. COVID-19 accelerated the wellness shift; VMS continues to lead in both value and volume growth.

00:08:33 – Digital Disruption. Online channels—especially e-commerce—are now a must-have capability for brands.

00:09:10 – Country Comparison. From Bulgaria to Germany: wide variation in online sales share across Europe.

00:13:13 – Brand Disruption. New DTC players are winning with digital-first strategies, bypassing traditional pharmacy.

00:13:42 – Closing Thoughts. Positive outlook for European OTC growth; Europe expected to outperform global average.

00:14:05 – Audience Q&A. A discussion on the future of offline retail and consumer loyalty to pharmacies.

If you have a request for a proposal in any area discussed during this presentation, please click the “CONTACT US” button floating on this page to make an enquiry.