Boston, MA -- (SBWIRE) -- 08/26/2014 -- Sports nutrition in Japan increased by 3% in current retail value terms in 2013, driven mainly by growth in protein products. While sports nutrition products in Japan are mainly marketed for athletes and men who regularly work out, products marketed for other segment groups are available. In particular, with the increasing number of young female runners, major manufacturers are trying to attract these consumers by offering products in addition to their regular ones. One trend is the increasing availability of soy protein products. The most common protein product in Japan is made of whey protein, which is said to stimulate male hormones. The second most common is soy protein, which is said to be more suitable for women than whey protein. Meiji Co Ltd offers Savas Shape & Beauty under its top protein products brand Savas. This soy powder protein product in a pink package also contains collagen, which is effective for maintaining young-looking skin, to appeal to female consumers. Another trend is soy protein products marketed for dieting as soy protein is said to be effective at burning body fat. Meiji Co Ltd launched Savas Soy Protein 100 to attract both male and female consumers who want to keep their bodies in good shape rather than building muscles.

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Competitive Landscape

Ajinomoto Co Inc maintained its leading position in the category in 2013. The company's primary brand Amino Vital was the top brand in non-protein products in 2013, with 71% of retail value sales. The brand's dominance in non-protein products is due to the company's collaboration campaigns and a variety of products successfully marketed for different consumer groups. For instance, since 2010 the company has been collaborating with Inazuma Eleven, a popular football video game among elementary and middle school children, to promote sales of Amino Vital Guts Gear. By using the characters of Inazuma Eleven on its package, Amino Vital Guts Gear attracts children who play sports. In addition to RTD products, the company introduced powder product in May 2013 to better meet the needs of children and their families. Amino Vital Capsi is marketed for male and female consumers who are interested in body shaping, as it contains both amino acid and capsiate, which increases metabolism during exercise. To reach targeted consumers, the company launched a collaboration programme in June 2013 with TBC Group Co Ltd, which is the largest beauty treatment salon operator in Japan. Under the collaboration, Amino Vital Capsi was incorporated into TBC's body shaping programme both for male and female customers. Additionally, the product became available through TBC's homeshopping catalogue. Thus the collaboration enabled Ajinomoto to increase brand recognition among the targeted audience and expand its distribution.

Industry Prospects

Sports nutrition is expected to register a CAGR of 1% at constant 2013 prices over the forecast period. The positive growth is expected to be led by protein products with a CAGR of 2%. Non-protein products is also expected to grow but at a slower pace. One of the keys for successful expansion is acquiring a wide range of customers. While the population in Japan is declining, more people are participating in sports activities for light exercise. The majority of sports nutrition products are marketed for serious male athletes but it is important for manufacturers to effectively promote their products to those who play sports for light exercise in addition to women and children. In particular, middle-aged and elderly consumers are promising groups as more of these consumers are engaging in sports activities from light exercise such as walking to hard sports such as baseball.

Retail value sales of dermatologicals in Japan increased by 1% in current terms in 2013. Hair loss treatments remained the largest category in terms of retail value sales. The category's steady growth turned negative in 2012 due to the negative growth of RiUP by Taisho Pharmaceutical Co Ltd, the largest brand in hair loss treatments compared to the significant sales increase of the brand in 2011. The remarkable performance was because of research findings by the Japanese Dermatological Association that certified the effectiveness of the key active ingredient in RiUP. Therefore, compared to 2012, sales of hair loss treatments recovered in 2013. While men's hair loss treatments accounted for the majority of the total sales, women's hair loss treatments expanded its value share in 2013 with several new products launches. In addition to women in middle-age and above, an increasing number of young women in their 30s are using hair loss treatment products for prevention purposes.

Competitive Landscape

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