What Q2 taught us about digital health shopping behavior and where brands need to look next
Our Solutions and Marketing teams just published a detailed Q2 recap based on real transaction and shopper data. It showed what the numbers confirm: the online Consumer Healthcare market is still growing… which yes, I admit, I keep saying in all of my articles.
But it also revealed something new and far more important: it’s growing differently. I would say: it’s not growing faster. Not broader. But smarter!
And that’s what I want to talk about here. Because while the headline numbers may look familiar (online +8.8%, baskets slightly down, older shoppers leading) the story behind the numbers is shifting. The dynamics are changing. The online channel, once in its honeymoon phase of rapid, overall growth, is starting to settle down. And in that, it's becoming more strategic, more selective, more… dare I say grown-up?
It’s not just growth
It’s evolution! Yes, the numbers are still positive: the online channel grew by 8.8% in Q2 compared to the previous year. But what’s more interesting is how that growth happened. This last quarter, it wasn’t driven by higher prices – it was driven by real demand (= volume). Shoppers bought more products, not just more expensive ones. That’s not just a sign of health trends – it’s a sign of trust in the digital channel. And trust, as we know, is harder to earn than attention.
Meet your new favorite shopper
The data shows a clear trend: the online pharmacy buyer base continues to be female and older. The majority of shoppers fall into the 30-59 age group, and across nearly all age segments, the share of female buyers is higher than that of male buyers, especially in the middle-aged demographic.
Women over 50 now make up the most valuable segment in the market, not just in volume but in contribution. Starting at age 60, both men and women show a positive sales contribution ratio and the older the group, the higher their relative spending. These shoppers aren’t just browsing. They know what they need, buy more intentionally and more regularly – and yes, they tend to stay loyal to brands that serve them well.
My takeaway for brands? Speak to them directly. Not just in product development, but in communication, usability, and convenience.
Smaller baskets, bigger signals
One clear takeaway from Q2: shoppers are buying more frequently, but spending slightly less per order. The average basket value declined to €41.98, down –2.6% year-over-year. At the same time, the number of purchases per shopper increased by +5.1% – a sign that people are placing more, but smaller, orders. That’s not necessarily bad news. In fact, it reflects a shift in behavior: the average number of items per order dropped, but the average price per item rose by +3.5%. In other words: fewer products, but with higher prices or in larger packages. People aren’t just shopping because they can – they’re shopping because they mean to. They're skipping impulse buys, choosing more carefully, and planning better. Possibly just enough to qualify for free shipping, or because they’re more price-sensitive overall.
Recommended by LinkedIn
The result? A more conscious, deliberate way of buying health products online. The question is: are your brand’s messaging and offerings evolving just as intentionally?
Visibility matters but context matters more
In a maturing market, digital shelf visibility becomes essential. If your product isn’t visible under relevant search terms, it might as well not exist. That’s why understanding how consumers search (and where you show up) is no longer optional. With our latest Search Visibility update, we now analyze 1,000 real onsite search terms from important German online pharmacies each week. This gives brands unique insights into where they rank, how competitors perform, and which trends are rising or fading. Let me conclude: being in the market isn’t enough anymore. You have to be found (and found for the right reasons!)
The top brands are pulling ahead
Market concentration is increasing. The top 10 manufacturers now account for roughly a third of the entire e-pharmacy market. Bayer, for instance, just passed the €200 million mark in online sales. Others, like Ratiopharm and Eucerin, are also showing strong, targeted growth. Why? Because they understand where demand comes from and how to meet it.
So… where’s your edge?
This is where we, at DatamedIQ, are seeing the biggest changes. Brands aren’t just asking “how’s the market doing?” anymore. They’re asking:
These aren’t surface-level questions. They require depth. Which is exactly why we built DatamedIQ Solutions – our tailored analytics service that combines persona data, basket analysis, shopper behavior, search visibility, and brand performance into one reliable source of truth. We don’t just help you read the market. We help you understand your place in it.
Final thought
Q2 didn’t bring dramatic surprises, but it revealed something far more relevant for long-term strategy: the market is entering a new phase of maturity. Growth is still happening, but it’s happening differently: through better planning, more conscious buying behavior, and stronger shopper-brand relationships.
If your brand is seeing slower growth, it’s worth exploring what’s behind it. Has your customer base changed? Are their expectations shifting? And is your communication still aligned with how (and why) they shop today?
The good news is that much of this can be answered with the right data. You just need to know where to look and what to ask. If you'd like to dive deeper into the full Q2 recap and explore what it means for your brand, our team would be happy to walk you through it in a personal conversation.