Whether it is regular access to an unprecedented amount of information, the pandemic, or a combination of the two, consumers are more aware than ever of their health and wellness. As a result, the consumer trends we’re seeing reflect this growing awareness as well as the expectation that brands and products can help consumers achieve their health goals. In creating market strategies for 2022, brands and products that can tap into this growing consumer priority will find themselves well situated for growth.
We’ve spent over a decade working with consumers in this space, so the growth in both market share and interest in this market category came as no surprise to us. Working closely with consumers and closely monitoring the market, we’ve been able to identify some health and wellness consumer trends for 2022 that are worth observing and incorporating into your marketing strategies.
What is the Health and Wellness Market?
There was a time when the health and wellness market seemed niche, when it was largely defined by the types of consumers you’d find only in co-ops, or browsing the vitamin aisle, concerned mostly with natural and organic products. In fact, in 2002, when the USDA launched organic food standards, sales increased 17-20% year over year. By 2003, organic foods had made their way into 73% of conventional grocery stores. Now, 20 years later, the shift is clear and health and wellness is no longer niche, it’s mainstream.
These consumers, at varying stages of their health and wellness journey, share one common goal which is improving their overall well-being. To do so, they’re looking to support brands and buy products and services that share that goal and facilitate their efforts. These products and services can include:
- Personal care and hygiene items
- Consumer goods
- CBD/homeopathy/natural medicine
- Plant-based foods
- Diet and nutritional support (keto, paleo, intermittent fasting)
- Milk/dairy substitutes
- Beverages (water, sports drinks, coffees, teas)
- Sustainable and eco-conscious brands, products, and packaging
While their interests may vary, across generations, the goals remain the same– to live better, healthier, and longer. To do so, consumers are prioritizing health and wellness.
Consumer Trends: Prioritizing Health and Wellness
For most consumers, the arrival of COVID-19 shifted their perceptions and prioritization of health and wellness. The pandemic has impacted their routines, including fitness practices, and it influenced mental health. Therapists saw an increased demand for online counseling services and both sporting goods stores and gyms saw a drive toward home workouts creating a dumbbell shortage in many areas of the country. However, those increased demands suggest that people were using the challenge of COVID-19 to prioritize their health and wellness. Our research on consumer trends in the health and wellness market category illustrates this prioritization in a few key areas.
Self-Care
While there’s long been debate in popular culture about the definition of self-care, the World Health Organization (WHO) defines it as the ability to “promote health, prevent disease, maintain health, and to cope with illness and disability with or without the support of a healthcare provider.” With that in mind, our research indicates a significant uptick in the desire for self-care practice with 71% of people interested overall and 81% of women looking for ways to incorporate self-care in their health and wellness routine.
Furthermore, consumers are turning to a variety of alternative methods to manage their self-care practice. From aromatherapy to CBD treatments, consumers are looking for ways to make time for themselves, relax, and create more calm. 41% of respondents are interested in including wellness and therapy smartphone apps to improve and promote their overall mental health and create balance in their lives.
Further, women expressed that making time for themselves is an essential part of their self-care. For many, self-care includes an improved skincare routine with 80% reporting that a skincare routine was vital, 78% reporting it helps them make time for themselves, and 64% reporting it reduces stress.
In short, consumers are looking for ways to take their health and well-being into their own hands and looking for both the products and services that can enable them to do so.
Health and Wellness in the Food and Beverage Market
Much like self-care, consumers are looking for ways in which food and beverages can facilitate their efforts to stay calmer, get better sleep, and, in general, be healthier.
Similar to the organic and natural food market years ago, CBD-infused products are poised to make significant growth. While once a fringe product, they’re increasingly becoming mainstream as consumers see them as a way to manage stress and anxiety and enhance their sleep.
In addition to seeking ways to decrease stress, consumers are quite interested in ways to boost their immune systems. They’re seeking both food and beverage products with those properties, whether naturally occurring or through similar additives. 57% of respondents suggested they were interested in products with immunity-boosting properties which means brand messaging should tout that benefit.
Stress and Sleep
One consistent message through all of our research is that reducing stress and improving sleep quality are high among consumer health priorities. This desire stretches across the other two categories discussed (self-care and food and beverages) and suggests it is a top priority for consumers in the health and wellness market category.
More specifically, 63% and 60% of consumers are seeking, respectively, food and beverages that include sleep boosting benefits and sleep aid ingredients. Certainly, this includes the CBD market, but may also include other additives or naturally occurring ingredients that promote high-quality sleep.
Holistically, across all categories, the general sense is that when it comes to health and wellness, consumers are looking to include and incorporate products that facilitate overall well-being. Further, they are specifically prioritizing self-care, stress reduction, immunity boosts, and better quality sleep.
Across all generations, consumers are looking to feel more relaxed, restored, and healthier. Given the challenges of managing health while Covid continues, it’s clear to see that brands that can tap into this consumer trend can find ways to firmly establish themselves in a consumer’s plan for wellness and well-being.
How To Keep Connected to Health and Wellness Trends
With over a decade of dedication to the health and wellness market category, 360 Market Reach (now Leger) is uniquely poised to help your brand or product connect with this lucrative market. Pairing our expertise with the valuable data we receive from our proprietary market research communities, we’re able to provide you with crucial insights that prepare you to meet the market and stay on top of the consumer trends that will drive market growth.
In addition to our yearly consumer trend study, which you can download below, we’re able to tailor our research questions to meet your specific needs. Get in touch with our team today to discuss how our research and insights on consumer trends can transform your strategy and business in 2022 and beyond.