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What Are the Most Popular Health and Beauty Items at C-Stores?

Categories such as pain relief, travel sets and ear care all saw an increase in dollar sales in 2021.

By: Howard Riell || January 7, 2022 || Originally posted on csnews.com

When considering which health and beauty aid (HBA) products to sell at your c-store, keep in mind: Numbers don’t lie. Up-to-date, c-store-specific data is important in tracking ever-evolving consumer trends.

So, what are the most popular, best-selling HBA products in convenience stores?

According to NielsenIQ statistics for the convenience store channel for the 52-week period ending Nov. 20, 2021, the largest HBA categories in terms of dollar sales were:

• Pain Relief, at just over $348 million, a 6.2% increase
• Vitamins and Supplements, at just over $284 million, a 9.3% increase
• Upper Respiratory, at nearly $248 million, which was flat over the same period in 2020
• GI Care, at just under $125 million, up by 9.6%
• Medical Accessories, which notched sales of slightly more than $1 million dollars, a 30.7% increase over the previous year
• Travel Sets, at more than $986,000, saw the biggest increase, 18.1%
• Adult Incontinence Products, which had sales of nearly $579,000, a 26.6% increase
• Ear Care, which registered sales of almost $212,000, but with an increase year over year of 21.7%

Results in other categories included Sun Care, with just over $14 million in sales and an 11.9% increase; Hand & Body Lotion, with sales in excess of $14 million and a 2.7% drop; Feminine Care, which saw sales of just under $46 million dollars, representing a 9.2% increase; Sexual Health, which registered sales just under $122 million, up by 0.3%; Oral Hygiene, with sales of just under $129 million dollars, a 4.8% increase; and Eye Care, which registered sales slightly under $62 million, up 5.0%.

The categories that saw the biggest declines year-over-year in convenience stores nationwide were: Bath & Shower, at just over $45 million, down 59.5%; Facial Skin Care, with sales of almost $2.3 million, down 35.5%; First Aid, with sales of more than $110,000, which was down 34.2% year over year; and Sleeping and Alertness Aids, which notched sales of almost $13 million, a decrease of 11%.