What's Hot & What's Not, feat. Greenlife
Jon Inder from Greenlife in Totnes invites us to discover the store’s fastest selling and slowest moving products, from mighty mullein and functional foods to CBD and Oatly.
What’s Hot: Mullein
We noticed a big increase in sales of mullein and a greater awareness generally of this fantastic herb last year. We’ve always stocked Nature’s Answer Alcohol Free Mullein tincture 30ml, but it has been selling much faster than usual over this last flu season. Because of this we have now taken on two new cough syrups by the brand: Nature’s Answer Mullein-X Multi-System Cough Syrup 120ml and Nature’s Answer Mullein-X Kids Cough Syrup 120ml. Both have been popular. I believe this is due to a number of respiratory tract infections which have been doing the rounds, each with congestion as a common persistent symptom.
What’s Hot: Functionality
There has been a massive increase in sales of functional foods over the last 12 months. We sell a greater range than ever of soft drinks, chocolate bars, lattes, hot chocolate powders and coffees containing key trending ingredients such as lion’s mane, adaptogens, probiotics and CBD. We are constantly trying new products and are dedicating more shelf and fridge space to these than ever before. I think this is just because people are looking for ways to include these trending ingredients in their diets without adding another tablet, capsule or tincture to their daily supplements regime.
What’s Hot: Snacks
We have noticed an increase in the sales of what my colleague in the buying department calls ‘alternative snacking’ — products that either contain more unusual ingredients or are just a bit different from crisps. We’ve never sold such an extensive range of interesting snacks as we do now. Examples include: Mr. Filbert’s Teriyaki Mochi Rice Bites; Other Foods Crunchy Artichoke Chips; Other Foods Crunchy Ladies Fingers Okra Snacks; Karma Bites Popped Lotus Seeds with Pink Himalayan Salt; and Purely Wild Garlic Plantain Chips. Some are lower in sugar and higher in fibre than other snacks. Perhaps consumers are just happy to try something new!
What’s Not: CBD
CBD products all slowed down massively over the last year. As an example, sales of our Canabidol CBD RAW Cannabis Oil Drops 500mg (25mg of CBD per dose) in 10ml size have literally halved. The cheapest CBD products (which offer a lower dose) have sold better but overall the CBD ‘boom’ appears to be over. Sales were at their peak immediately after COVID-19 and have been gradually dropping off since. However, it was during 2024 when the sharpest decline occurred. The reasons may be to do with changes in legislation; perhaps it’s also due to the fact that the average customer has less disposable income due to the ongoing cost of living crisis — it’s hard to say. We do sell a larger range of functional foods containing CBD, which are not part of this slow down.
What’s Not: Oatly Barista
Oatly Barista sales have continued to go down. There was a time when it was so in demand we were selling it by the case. I think part of this slowdown is because you can now buy it everywhere, including in supermarkets, but in my opinion it‘s also due to the fact that there are so many other brands which are selling much more strongly, such as Minor Figures, Glebe Farm and Rude Health. I also think that ethical concerns about the company may have played a role in Oatly’s relative decline among Greenlife customers. Of course, oat milks on the whole are still very popular with shoppers.
What’s Not: Flaxseed Oil
Flaxseed oil (or linseed oil, as it’s sometimes known) supplements and hemp seed oil supplements appear to have slowed down and have now been replaced by the next generation of vegetarian- and vegan-friendly omega-3 supplements from algae-based sources which can be used to support brain, heart and eye function. This is in part because many discerning the consumer are becoming more educated about the differences between taking ALA and of taking the omega-3 fats DHA and EPA. I think it is also simply because these supplements are more widely available across general retail.
By Jon Inder, Greenlife