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French supplements market soars beyond €3bn

The French dietary supplements market has surpassed €3 billion in revenues, with strong and solid growth in pharmacy, online, and specialist nutrition channels – trajectories all set to continue in 2026.

In 2025, France's dietary supplements market saw revenues exceed €3 billion for the first time – up 2.6% on 2024 revenues, according to the French Union of Food Supplements, Synadiet. Growth was largely driven by online sales (up 5%), specialist nutrition stores and platforms (up 4%), and pharmacies (up 3.7%), with pharmacy maintaining its lion's share at 55% of the market with €1.7bn in revenues – up 3.7% on 2024.

Online represents the next biggest channel at 11%; followed by direct sales at 10%; organic stores 8%; large and medium-size stores 6%; specialised nutrition platforms 6%; and parapharmacies 5%. All channels reported growth, except organic stores and large and medium-size stores which were down 3% and 3.9%, respectively.

“Whilst growth was limited at the beginning of 2025, the last months of the year were quite dynamic and we expect 2026 to follow that trend,” said Claire Guignier, public affairs and communications director at Synadiet.

It is important to recognise that key growth still comes from physical distribution – particularly pharmacies – where staff are on-hand to provide “expertise and advice” to consumers, Guignier told Ingredients Network.

“Physical channels where no advice is available, such as organic stores and mass retail, are declining. Moreover, the range of products available in pharmacies has significantly expanded. This wide variety, combined with the expertise of trusted healthcare professionals, explains why pharmacies remain by far the core retail outlet for food supplements in France.”

Vitality and immunity dominate

In category terms, vitality and immunity continues to dominate the French dietary supplements market, with continued and solid growth over the past decade. This is followed by the stress/sleep and digestion categories which continue to grow at very similar trajectories, not far behind vitality and immunity.

“Vitality and immunity has always been the largest segment in France; it was one of the first to emerge around 30 years ago, with multivitamins and vitamin C,” explained Guignier. “This segment, which was relatively mature before Covid, has since returned to strong growth as people have become increasingly willing to support their health and prevent illness. The sector gained new customers during the pandemic who have continued to consume supplements.”

There has also been a shift amongst pharmaceutical companies over the past year, she said, with many now offering food supplements instead of medicinal products in this space.

But looking ahead, Guignier said there is also plenty of promise in the smaller categories, such as female health and memory/concentration.

A cognitive health shift?

“The memory and concentration market clearly has strong potential,” the director said.

Today, this category is mainly composed of products targeting students and those made with magnesium but she said there was plenty of promise in targeting the ageing population here as “more and more people want to support their cognitive health”.

Younger consumers are also increasingly concerned about cognitive health, she said. According to consumer research conducted in 2026 by market research firm Toluna for Synadiet, fatigue, poor sleep quality and stress are top concerns for dietary supplement consumers in France, with 41 to 45% of respondents citing these as ongoing issues. And these concerns are even higher amongst the younger population, aged 18-34 years, with 76% saying they were regularly tired in the past two years; 70% citing stress as an issue; and 59% saying sleep quality is often problematic.

“Mental health is a key issue in French society, especially amongst young adults and women,” said Guignier. “Almost 80% of adults under 25 report feeling tired and stressed, and 69% say they feel low. A majority of women also report stress and fatigue.”

And whilst “innovation is clearly present” here – dietary supplement manufacturers and brands are developing products designed to support these populations and target mental wellbeing – she said the restrictive regulatory framework around health claims complicates communication.

Emerging health concerns and innovative delivery

The Toluna research also highlights “clear opportunities in emerging health concerns”, Guignier added, particularly those linked to women's health, men's health, stress, and mental health and performance. Targeted formulations, new ingredients, combination products and fresh formats targeting these areas, therefore, hold “strong potential”, she explained.

“The French and European dietary supplements markets have significant room for growth. At Synadiet, we are working to ensure that the sector is supported by policymakers and that future European and French regulations do not undermine its strong potential for the French and European economy,” the director said.