WHICH? Magazine votes Tanita 'Best on Test' & a separate market report endorses Body Fat Monitors!
Tanita is celebrating the New Year having been awarded one of the UK's highest consumer accolades; voted 'Best on Test' in Which? Magazine's Bathroom Scales report, January 2006 issue.
Which?, renowned for its impartial and vigorous testing, identified Tanita as the brand leader and selected Tanita's Innerscan as the leading choice within the body fat monitor category, clearly beating competitive models with 'superior accuracy, consistency and versatility'. The report also concurs with another report, 'Tip The Scales', the first of its kind to look at sales trends within this market in the UK. Published by independent marketing consultancy, Through The Loop, the report highlights the outstanding growth of the Body Fat Monitor - and the demise of the traditional bathroom scale.
Market Analyst, Martin Payne from Through the Loop explains: "We were astounded to see such a marked downturn in sales of bathroom scales; 42% decline in the last five years with this year (2006) forecast down by approximately 12%. However, while consumers are rejecting standard scales, they are turning toward more sophisticated measures such as body fat and body composition monitors. This sector has grown beyond all expectations - around 180% for the last five years, an amazing 25% last year alone (2005) and is forecast to continue to grow further this year (2006). Users are becoming more educated and are clearly 'trading up' with their purchasing decisions. We found that over 56% of purchasing takes place between December and March, so it is clearly both gift purchasing and New Year resolutions that are driving these sales."
The shift has been fuelled by several factors; primarily the recognition of BIA (bio electrical impedance analysis) as the most accurate reading among health care professionals who recognise the limitations of BMI especially for individual treatment and the rise of a category Through the Loop identifies as the 'Expert Patient'. Slimmers, Fitness Fanatics and the Health Concerned make up the other markets but a clear favourite for the future is the family as childhood obesity is considered a real threat to long-term health. The 2012 Olympics is also identified as a market driver and pivotal in encouraging an increased focus on the nation's fitness.
The market report was commissioned by Tanita, the leading body composition monitoring experts. Tanita created the body fat monitor market with the launch of the world's first stand-on model in 1992 specifically designed to help healthcare professionals within the healthcare market. This technology was then introduced into home-use models.
For interviews and further information
Contact: Jo Greaves e :jo@decent-exposure.co.uk t: 01243 371 584
Notes to Editors:
- Leading obesity expert, Dr Ian Campbell, says that obesity has grown by around 20% in the last five years.
- Mintel notes that sales of self diagnostic health products has grown by 40% in the last five years (since 2005)
- Gfk notes that the electrical well-being category grew 56% in the year ending Feb 05
- GfK market date shows that in 2005 Tanita remains the UK market leader with over 25% of total volume sales of the total body fat market
- Mintel notes that ownership of bathroom scales has fallen to below 50% of households
