Target Corporation announced it is “doubling down on its commitment to wellness,” with plans to introduce more than 2,000 new items across multiple categories, including more than 600 Target exclusives, according to a press release.
As the retailer’s wellness assortment expands, “it is staying affordable, with over half of the new items under $10. The expansion is part of the retailer’s strategy to take an integrated approach to wellbeing and infuse it throughout its assortment, so consumers can create a personalized regimen that helps them feel their best.”
“We understand that wellness is deeply personal, and it spans many different aspects of people’s lives, so at Target our approach to wellness reaches into every category of our assortment,” said Rick Gomez, executive vice president and chief commercial officer, Target.
One particular market segment Target is aiming to corner is functional and non-alcoholic beverages. “Consumers can explore functional beverages (non-alcoholic drinks that contain ingredients to provide health benefits beyond basic hydration) including Target exclusives like strawberry flavored Bloom colostrum and collagen and Poppi prebiotic cream soda; and non-alcoholic beverages like Bero, a new premium non-alcoholic beer brand co-founded by actor Tom Holland,” said Target.
Energy drinks and sports drinks are currently the most popular functional beverages in the United States, while dairy alternative beverages and functional waters are among the fastest-growing, reported PepsiCo. Today’s top categories of functional ingredients include vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, prebiotics, probiotics, omega-3 fatty acids and herbs or herbal extracts.
According to NielsenIQ, the functional beverage market is an area where innovation is truly shaping the landscape. In fact, innovation drove 258 new item launches in the last year, many with unique functional claims and ingredients. “Driven by demand for beverages that offer specific health benefits, companies are experimenting with cutting-edge ingredients such as adaptogens, probiotics and collagen, creating formulations that address everything from stress relief to immune support,” wrote NIQ.