Top US retail consultancy WSL says the country is witnessing a “wellness uprising”.
A new report from WSL says people of all ages and demographics are adopting healthier lifestyles as awareness of personal wellness increases.
Its Wellness Uprising Report 2014 found that people of all ages and income levels cited stress (47%) as their number one health concern and are adopting strategies to live healthier lives.
Wendy Liebmann, CEO of WSL said: “People are changing their dietary habits, eating less ‘bad’ foods and cooking more ‘good’ foods, two growing trends which will have a major impact on every type of business, especially those that involve food, exercise and healthcare. In the recent recession it was an economic necessity and now it has become a more holistic approach to being well every day.”
US trade magazine Natural Foods Merchandiser believes the trend offers an opportunity for independent natural foods retailers. It breaks this down into the ‘trust’ opportunity – retailers who have earned consumers’ trust are most likely to hold on to and attract shoppers, and the ‘new demographic’ opportunity – the “wellness uprising” is pulling in consumers from the full income spectrum as heath becomes a universal priority.
