As the U.S. supplement market continues to boom, six-year-old wellness brand JSHealth Vitamins is investing to grow its presence in the sector.
Australia-based JSHealth Vitamins has sold more than 7 million units worldwide, with products ranging from $10 to $325, and in 2023 saw an 84% year-over-year increase in subscription customers receiving products every month.
While the brand has long had a presence in the U.S. market through Amazon, local consumers’ increased health consciousness following the pandemic led to the decision to focus on the U.S. market this year, said Jessica Sepel, clinical nutritionist and co-founder of JSHealth Vitamins. In 2023, JSHealth Vitamins saw 300% year-over-year growth in the U.S. market, with its reported valuation rising to $600 million.
“We are focusing on the United States as a large growth market. [opportunity]”We want to understand the customer here,” Sepel said.
As Sepel explained, breaking into the U.S. market can be daunting for independent brands that aren’t based in the U.S. With celebrity-backed brands like Lo Bosworth’s Love Wellness, Kourtney Kardashian Barker’s REM and Gwyneth Paltrow’s Goop Wellness entering the space with beauty drinks, as well as major beauty companies like L’Oreal, strategic investment of resources is required to gain an advantage in the market.
Meanwhile, JSHealth Vitamins has chosen to increase investments in Amazon storefronts, influencer marketing strategies, and sponsorship of major cultural events such as Coachella to deepen its ties with the U.S. community.
“We’ve revamped our Amazon page,” Sepel said. That includes updating the brand image and copy to make it easier for consumers to understand and align with the brand’s mission. The brand also plans to invest in Amazon advertising, increase Amazon reviews and work with more celebrities through paid partnerships and Amazon’s affiliate program to drive more traffic to Amazon. “Amazon is in a growth phase,” Sepel said. He declined to disclose the brand’s investment in Amazon.
Outside of Amazon, JSHealth Vitamins plans to increase organic traffic by updating its influencer partnerships to include one-on-one health-focused consultations with LA-based celebrities and influencers. The brand recently partnered with professional dancer and TV personality Allison Holker (@allisonholker, 3.8 million followers). “We wanted to find out what her struggles were and offer her a regimen that included lifestyle changes and supplements,” Sepel says. Sepel plans to conduct four to five consultations per week.
To further promote the brand, it will host a pop-up store in partnership with Los Angeles-based marketing agency The A List, which will also serve as a product showroom for its celebrity clientele.
JSHealth Vitamins is currently sold in 1,800 retailers in Australia, more than 1,000 in the UK, and officially launched in Singapore this month. Sepel said the brand has no immediate plans to sell in brick-and-mortar stores in the US as part of its expansion plans. “We’re still in the early stages, so we want to figure out how to stand out among other brands first,” Sepel said.
A report by Future Market Insights estimates the supplement market to be worth $57 billion in 2023, and Research and Markets predicts it will reach $239 billion by 2028. Of that, U.S. consumers will reportedly drive 3.6% of the growth.
