Why Wellness Brands Like AG1 and Grüns Are Fighting Over Gummies
Updated: Sep 1
TL;DR: Fresh trade analysis shows wellness brands — from powder pioneer AG1 to fast-growing Grüns — battling for retail shelf space as gummy supplements boom, with the category marketed 'like skincare': a daily ritual, not a medicine.
The gummy land grab
A wave of wellness brands is fighting for retail shelf space as gummy supplements boom. AG1, the greens-powder pioneer, moved into gummies in mid-August 2026, while challenger Grüns has reached a roughly $500 million valuation in about two years and landed in Sprouts, Target and Walmart. Adweek's 24 August analysis frames it as a category land grab.
The prize is large. Gummy supplement sales are projected to reach around $40 billion by 2031 (Mordor Intelligence), part of a wellness economy estimated at $6.3 trillion.
Marketing supplements 'like skincare'
The most interesting shift is positioning. Brands are increasingly marketing supplements the way beauty markets skincare — as a daily ritual and identity signal rather than a medicinal fix. Packaging, brand story and routine now do the persuading, not clinical claims.
That reframing matters because it changes the battleground from efficacy — hard to prove and tightly regulated — to brand and experience, where marketing wins. Gummies fit perfectly: they're pleasant, habitual and easy to make part of a routine.
Marketing Minute's read: DTC grows up into retail
Our take: this is the maturation of DTC wellness. Brands that started online are now fighting for physical shelves, where packaging, recognition and story decide the win in a way they don't in a targeted Instagram ad. The skills that build a DTC brand aren't the same as the skills that win at Target.
The category shift from "medicine" to "ritual" is the deeper lesson. When you can't win on provable efficacy, you win on identity and habit — and that's a marketing problem, not a formulation one.
What businesses should take from it
If your category is hard to differentiate on performance, compete on ritual and identity instead. Making your product part of a daily routine builds retention that features alone can't.
Retail and DTC demand different muscles. Winning a shelf requires packaging and recognition that sell in three seconds, without the targeting and retargeting that carry a DTC brand online.
Quick FAQ
Why are wellness brands moving into gummies?
Gummy supplement sales are projected to reach ~$40 billion by 2031, and gummies suit a shift toward marketing supplements as a pleasant daily ritual rather than a medicine. AG1 launched gummies in mid-August 2026; Grüns hit a ~$500M valuation in about two years.
What does 'marketing supplements like skincare' mean?
Positioning them as a daily ritual and identity signal — leaning on packaging, brand story and routine — rather than on clinical efficacy claims.
Why does the retail shelf matter so much?
As DTC wellness brands mature, they compete for physical shelves where packaging, recognition and story decide the sale, unlike the targeted advertising that carries brands online.
When you can't win on provable efficacy, you win on identity and habit — and that's a marketing problem, not a formulation one. These brands are selling supplements like skincare: a daily ritual you buy into. But winning a shelf at Target takes different muscles than winning a DTC ad auction. — Daniel Nikolla, Founder of Merx Marketing
When performance is hard to prove, compete on ritual and identity — a product woven into a daily routine retains customers features never could.
Could your product become part of a daily ritual rather than a one-off purchase?
If you would like to know more about this topic, please contact us on danieln@merxmarketing.co.uk
Sources: Adweek, NutraIngredients, Modern Retail.
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Written by Daniel Nikolla, Founder of Merx Marketing Ltd and Marketing Minute
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