What’s Selling is our monthly look at what our retailers say is selling best in their stores. This month, we’ve compiled our data from July to September to see what is attracting consumers this quarter.

In the Supplements category, omega-3s, a frontrunner from last quarter, are still making strong sales, along with multivitamins. Relative newcomer garcinia, a supplement often cited to support weight loss, is also very prominent, charting in multiple regions. In Foods, gluten-free items like breads and snack foods carry over their sales dominance from the second quarter. However, ancient grain-based products are also becoming more popular among consumers looking for alternatives to traditional grains. Breads and rice are some ancient grain products that appeared in our survey.

Moving to the HABA category, skin and facial care products are leading the pack in most regions, healthy oils in particular. One interesting finding from our data is that there is a rise in sales of full lines for HABA products; suggesting that when consumers find a brand they like, they use it for as many purposes as possible. In Beverages, Kombucha is still in high demand in all regions, along with natural waters and organic soft drinks. Water was also very popular in this quarter’s data, not a surprise in the height of summer.

One major up and coming item for this quarter was protein products and bars for people looking to supplement their workouts or simply boost their diet. Alternative facial care options like facial muds, clays, and salves also appeared in this category. One intriguing fact is that in addition to making a strong showing in the Supplements category, many of our retailers included garcinia as an up and comer as well. It appears that this particular supplement is only going to become more popular in the coming months.

In regional trends, the Northwest is favoring coconut oil, both for cooking and for the skin. Northeastern favorites include protein products and multivitamins, which also are popular in the Midwest. One unique trend popping up in the Midwest is an interest in organic and sustainable dental care products. The Southeast’s love of gluten-free breads and kombucha is still prominent from last quarter, but ancient grain breads are beginning to draw consumer interest as well. In the Southwest, skin care products are particularly popular, with several different treatment types appearing in our survey.

Published in WholeFoods Magazine, September 2014