Vitamin Gummies vs Pills: Why Brands Are Switching

Introduction

Walk into any pharmacy or scroll through Amazon supplements. Ten years ago, you'd see rows of pills and capsules. Today, gummies take up half the shelf.

This isn't a fad. Consumer preference has fundamentally shifted. And supplement brands - from startups to established players - are switching their product lines to match.

If you're considering launching a supplement brand or expanding an existing one, understanding this shift matters. This article breaks down why it's happening, what the data shows, and whether gummies make sense for your business.

The Numbers Behind the Shift

The gummy supplement market was valued at over €10 billion in 2024. Growth rate sits around 9-10% annually - outpacing traditional supplement formats.

Vitamins in gummy form now represent over 40% of the total vitamin market. In some categories like kids vitamins and beauty supplements, gummies dominate with 60-70% market share.

This growth isn't slowing down. Analysts project the market to more than double by 2034.

Meanwhile, traditional pill and capsule supplements grow at 3-4% - barely keeping pace with general market expansion.

The shift is real. The question is why.

Why Consumers Prefer Gummies

They taste good

Simple but powerful. Pills are something you have to take. Gummies are something you want to take.

Compliance - actually taking supplements daily - is the biggest challenge in the industry. Studies show 50-70% of people who buy supplements don't take them consistently. Bad taste, difficulty swallowing, and unpleasant experience are top reasons.

Gummies solve this. When your vitamin tastes like candy, you remember to take it. Some people actually look forward to it.

Easier to swallow

Roughly 40% of adults report difficulty swallowing pills. For children and elderly, the number is higher.

Gummies require no water, no technique, no discomfort. Chew and done.

This opens supplement consumption to people who avoided it entirely due to pill aversion.

Perceived as more natural

Consumers increasingly distrust pharmaceutical-looking products. White pills in plastic bottles feel medicinal and chemical.

Gummies feel friendlier. More like food. More approachable. Even when the ingredients are identical, perception matters.

Fit modern lifestyles

No water needed. No pill organizer. Take them at your desk, in the car, at the gym.

Convenience drives purchasing decisions. Gummies fit how people actually live.

Social media friendly

Gummies photograph well. Colorful bottles, candy-like products, aesthetic packaging.

Brands like Olly built massive followings partly because their products look good on Instagram. Pills don't get that advantage.

Why Brands Are Switching

Consumer preference drives brand decisions. But there's more to the business case.

Higher margins

Gummies often command premium pricing. Consumers expect to pay more for the convenience and taste. A 60-count gummy bottle regularly sells for what a 180-count pill bottle costs.

Your cost per unit is higher with gummies, but your margin percentage can be better.

Lower return rates

Products that taste bad get returned. Pills that are too large get returned. Supplements that sit unused get negative reviews.

Gummy brands report lower return rates and fewer complaints about product experience.

Stronger brand differentiation

Pills look like pills. Hard to stand out.

Gummies offer differentiation through shapes, colors, flavors, and packaging. You can create a distinctive product that's recognizable and memorable.

Better customer retention

If customers enjoy taking your product, they reorder. If it sits in a drawer, they don't.

Gummy brands see higher repeat purchase rates than pill equivalents in many categories.

Growing retail demand

Retailers want gummies. They sell faster, attract younger demographics, and fit the wellness aesthetic stores want to project.

Getting shelf space is easier when you're offering what retailers actively seek.

Where Gummies Win

Some categories have shifted almost entirely to gummies:

Kids vitamins

Children won't swallow pills. Chewables existed before gummies but had a chalky taste and texture. Gummies taste like candy. Parents buy them because kids actually take them.

Over 70% of kids vitamins sold are now gummy format.

Beauty supplements

Hair, skin, and nails. Collagen. Biotin. The beauty supplement consumer is typically female, 18-45, and highly influenced by social media.

This demographic embraces gummies. The products photograph well, fit the self-care narrative, and taste good. Beauty gummies are one of the fastest-growing supplement segments.

Sleep supplements

Melatonin gummies now outsell melatonin pills. Taking a tasty gummy before bed feels like a ritual, not a chore. It fits the wind-down routine.

General multivitamins

Adults who hated taking daily vitamins switched to gummies and actually maintained the habit. Compliance drives this category.

Immunity

Vitamin C, zinc, and elderberry. These ingredients work well in gummy format and appeal to health-conscious consumers who want pleasant daily routines.

Where Pills Still Make Sense

Gummies aren't universally better. Some situations favor traditional formats.

High-dose supplements

Gummies have physical limits. You can only fit so much active ingredient into a chewable gummy before it becomes too large or tastes bad.

For high-dose supplements - therapeutic vitamin D, high-potency B-complex, large mineral doses - pills deliver more per unit.

Sensitive ingredients

Some ingredients degrade in a gummy format. Probiotics require special handling. Certain botanicals don't survive the cooking process.

Pills and capsules protect sensitive ingredients better.

Clinical/medical positioning

Some brands deliberately want a pharmaceutical feel. Clinical. Serious. Medical.

For this positioning, pills reinforce the message. Gummies might undermine it.

Cost-sensitive markets

Gummies cost more to produce and ship (they're heavier). In highly price-sensitive markets or for commodity supplements, pills remain competitive.

Consumers who prefer pills

They exist. Some people don't like sweet flavors. Some associate gummies with children's products. Some simply prefer what they know.

The market hasn't abandoned pills - it's diversified.

The Business Case: Making the Switch

If you're considering adding gummies or switching from pills, here's what to evaluate:

Your target customer

Who are they? Age, gender, lifestyle, preferences.

Younger consumers and women index heavily toward gummies. Older consumers and men are more pill-tolerant, though this is changing.

Your category

Is it a category where gummies already dominate (kids, beauty, sleep)? Then you likely need gummies to compete.

Is it a category where pills remain standard (clinical supplements, high-dose products)? Then evaluate whether the gummy format adds value or just costs.

Your price positioning

Can your market support gummy pricing? Gummies typically sell at premium price points. If you're competing on price in a commodity category, the math might not work.

Your brand identity

Does a gummy product fit your brand? A clinical, medical-positioned brand might lose credibility with candy-like products. A wellness, lifestyle brand gains from the gummy aesthetic.

Your current products

If you have existing pill products that sell well, you don't necessarily need to switch. Consider adding gummy versions as line extensions rather than replacements.

Test customer response before making major shifts.

What the Transition Looks Like

For new brands:

Starting with gummies is often easier than switching later. You build your brand identity around the format from day one.

Choose a manufacturer who specializes in gummies. Develop your product line in gummy format. Position accordingly.

For existing pill brands:

Don't abandon what works. Add gummy versions of your bestsellers. Test market response.

If gummies outperform pills, gradually shift your focus. If they don't, you've learned something valuable without destroying your existing business.

Timeline expectations:

Developing a new gummy product takes 3-8 weeks with private label formulas, or 8-16 weeks for custom formulations.

Reformulating an existing pill product into a gummy format requires development time - some ingredients don't translate directly.

Common Concerns About Gummies

"Gummies have sugar"

Yes, traditional gummies contain sugar. But sugar-free options exist using alternatives like maltitol or stevia.

Many health-conscious consumers accept small amounts of sugar (2-3g per serving) as a reasonable trade-off for compliance benefits.

Address it transparently in your marketing rather than hiding it.

"Less active ingredient per serving"

True for some formulas. Gummies physically can't hold as much as large capsules.

But a gummy that's actually taken beats a high-potency pill that sits in the drawer. Compliance matters more than theoretical potency.

For high-dose needs, recommend larger serving sizes (2-3 gummies) or acknowledge that pills work better for that use case.

"They seem less serious"

Perception is shifting. Gummies are increasingly mainstream and accepted.

Your branding and messaging can position gummies as legitimate supplements, not candy. Clinical language, quality certifications, and professional packaging all help.

"Production is more complicated"

Gummy manufacturing requires specialized equipment and expertise. Not every supplement manufacturer does it well.

Choose a manufacturer who specializes in gummies, not one who added them as an afterthought.

What This Means for Your Brand

The market has spoken. Consumers prefer gummies in most supplement categories.

This creates opportunity:

• New brands can launch directly into gummies and skip the pill phase entirely

• Existing brands can capture new customers by offering gummy alternatives

• Brands that ignore the shift risk losing relevance as competitors adapt

It also requires decision-making:

• Is your category gummy-appropriate?

• Does your target customer want gummies?

• Can your pricing support the format?

• Do you have the right manufacturing partner?

There's no universal answer. But ignoring the trend isn't a strategy.

How Gumio Helps

We manufacture gummies. It's what we do.

For new brands:

Browse our formula library across vitamins, immunity, sleep, beauty, energy, and more. Launch your gummy brand in weeks with low MOQs.

For existing pill brands:

Talk to us about adding gummy versions of your bestsellers. We'll help you navigate formulation differences and get to market efficiently.

For custom formulas:

Have a specific product in mind? Our team develops custom gummy formulations to your specifications.

EU GMP certified. Fast production. Direct communication. Serving brands across Europe and the Middle East.

Conclusion

The shift from pills to gummies isn't coming - it's here. Consumer preference, compliance benefits, and business economics all point in the same direction.

Not every product should be a gummy. But if you're in a category where gummies make sense and you're still only offering pills, you're leaving market share on the table.

The brands winning today are those who recognised this shift early and adapted. The question is whether you'll join them.

Ready to Explore Gummies?

Tell us what you're working on. We'll help you figure out if gummies fit your brand.