64% OF U.S. HOUSEHOLDS BUY SEASONAL ALLERGY MEDICATION; 72% OF BUYERS SAY BRAND NAME AND PRIVATE LABEL OFFER SAME QUALITY, NUMERATOR REPORTS
May 13 2024 - 9:10AM
Numerator, a data and tech company serving the market research
space, is releasing new findings on allergy medication buyers and
their sentiments around over-the-counter medication usage,
preference for name brand vs. store brands, and attitudes toward
medication advertising, sourced from purchase data and a
quick-pulse survey of 500 verified buyers. In general, allergy
medication buyers are more likely to be high income, Gen X
consumers living in rural areas, with 72% of surveyed buyers saying
brand name and private label allergy medications offer the same
quality.
Survey Findings Include:
- 9 in 10 allergy medication buyers said they purchase for
adults in the household. 93% of survey respondents said they
purchase over-the-counter seasonal allergy medication for
themselves or other adults (ages 18+) in the household. 15%
purchase for children (ages 5-12), and 13% purchase for teenage
children (ages 13-17). 70% said they only use OTC allergy meds to
treat seasonal allergies, while 30% use both OTC and prescription
medications.
- The majority of allergy med buyers say store brands are just
as high quality as name brands. 72% of survey respondents said
that brand names and store brands are usually the same quality. 20%
said that brand name is usually higher quality, and 8% said that
store brand is usually higher quality.
- But buyers are evenly split between brand name and store
brand when buying OTC allergy medication. 38% of buyers said
they mostly or always purchase brand name, 36% said they mostly or
always purchase store brand, and 26% of buyers said they purchase
brand name and store brand equally.
- Walmart’s Equate brand is the most popular among store brand
allergy medications. When asked which of the following brands
they use or would consider using to treat allergy symptoms, the top
answers were Benadryl (46%), Claritin (45%), Zyrtec (42%), Equate /
Walmart (37%), Allegra (37%), Flonase (36%), CVS Health (19%),
Walgreen’s (18%), Xyzal (16%), Up & Up / Target (13%), Kirkland
Signature / Costco (12%), Members Mark / Sam’s Club (12%), and DG
Health / Dollar General (11%).
- Nearly 1 in 5 buyers say advertisements impact their
purchase. While 75% of allergy med buyers said that
advertisements have no influence on their purchases, 17% said they
are more likely to consider a brand whose advertisement they have
seen, and 8% are less likely.
- Spring and fall are the top seasons for allergy med
usage. The top months for OTC allergy med usage are April
(83%), May (76%), and March (70%). About half of medication buyers
use in June (56%), September (55%), October (51%), August (49%),
and July (48%). The months with lowest usage are February (43%),
November (38%), January (38%), and December (33%).
- 3 in 5 respondents said OTC allergy meds are being taken
every day. 60% said during the months of usage, seasonal
allergy meds are being used every day. 24% said a few times per
week, 7% said once per week, and 5% said a few times per
month.
- OTC allergy meds are being used most frequently for nasal
symptoms. When asked what symptoms are being treated with OTC
allergy meds, 84% of respondents said nasal symptoms (itchy, runny,
congested nose; sneezing), 65% said itchy or watery eyes, 25% said
headaches or fatigue, 24% said respiratory issues (chest tightness,
wheezing, shortness of breath), and 22% said throat discomfort or
tightness.
- Allergy med buyers are also purchasing additional supplies
to alleviate symptoms. 50% said they purchase nasal care
products (e.g., tissues, saline spray, nasal irrigation products)
to help manage symptoms. 42% said they purchase vitamins and
supplements, 37% purchase eye care products (e.g., eye drops), 31%
purchase hydration improvement supplies (e.g., water, electrolyte
beverages), and 28% purchase air quality improvement supplies
(e.g., air purifiers, filters, face masks).
Consumer Profile and Purchase Data Findings Include:
- Nearly two-thirds of households purchase OTC allergy
medications. 64% of US households purchased allergy medications
in the past 12 months, spending an average of almost $58 and making
3-4 separate purchases. 60% purchased adult allergy meds, while 15%
purchased children’s allergy meds.
- April is historically the top month for sales, and early
data indicates a worse allergy season in 2024. April is
historically the top month for allergy medication sales (11.3% of
annual sales in 2023), followed by March (10.4%), May (10.3%) and
September (8.6%). March 2024 allergy medication sales were up 15.4%
versus last year, indicating a potentially heavier allergy
season.
- The average allergy medication buyer is more likely to be a
high income, married Gen X’er living in a rural area. Compared
to the average consumer, those who purchase OTC allergy meds are 7%
more likely to be Gen X, 12% more likely to live in the East South
Central US, 9% more likely to have an income of $125k+, 12% more
likely to be married, and 8% more likely to live in a rural area.
- Seasonal allergies are not the only allergies in the
household. Allergy med buyers are 9% more likely to have or
have someone in their household with a tree nut allergy and 6% more
likely to have or have someone in their household with a wheat
allergy.
Top Allergy Care Brands by Share of Spend
Numerator TruView, Last 52W ending 3/31/24
Brand |
Share of Spend |
Zyrtec |
13.2% |
Claritin |
13.0% |
Equate |
11.7% |
Allegra |
9.1% |
Flonase |
7.0% |
CVS Health |
5.2% |
Kirkland Signature |
4.8% |
Benadryl |
4.6% |
Xyzal |
4.3% |
Walgreens |
3.0% |
Numerator’s OTC Allergy Med survey was fielded 5/3/24–5/6/24 to
500 consumers.
About Numerator:
Numerator is a data and tech company bringing speed and scale to
market research. Numerator blends first-party data from over
1 million US households with advanced technology to provide
360-degree consumer understanding for the market research industry
that has been slow to change. Headquartered in Chicago, IL,
Numerator has 2,000 employees worldwide; 80 of the top 100 CPG
brands’ manufacturers are Numerator clients.
Bob Richter
Numerator
212-802-8588
press@numerator.com