Winning in Wellness

Confronting a complex world filled with chaos and uncertainty, consumers are taking agency over their own health, fundamentally reshaping the lucrative wellness market that McKinsey & Company estimated to be $2 trillion globally.

Dissatisfied with traditional healthcare models, a food system that doesn’t prioritize public health, and unfamiliar chemicals in common household goods, people are adopting more holistic views of health and well-being.

Fortified foods, dietary supplements, and clean-label personal care products are increasingly part of people’s daily regimens. Wearable health technologies like Apple Watches, Oura rings, and at-home health testing kits are also empowering people to take control of their own health.

The lines between food and supplements, and between beauty and wellness, continue to blur. With healthy foods, drinks, and supplements increasingly seen as preventive medicine, energy, gut health, immunity, muscle, bone, and joint support are the most sought-after benefits, according to McKinsey.

At the same time, more consumers say they are interested in using ingestible beauty supplements that promote wellness from within, such as collagen gummies for skin, hair, and nails.

Importantly, wellness is not strictly a physical domain. Young people across markets report having worse mental health than older generations, according to McKinsey. However, they are actively seeking solutions. Forty-two percent of Gen Z and Millennials in the U.S. said mindfulness is a “very high priority.”

“There are generational differences in how consumers think about mental health,” McKinsey noted. “Younger generations tend to be more attuned to their mental health and open to trying a range of solutions to address it. While older generations tend to think of mental health solutions as those that are explicitly tied to treatment (such as talk therapy), younger generations are adopting a range of behaviors and making unexpected purchases, from skin care regimens to sleep hygiene, fitness routines, and socializing, in the name of improving their mental well-being.”

For companies, the opportunity is as expansive as it is competitive. Winning in this space will require more than chasing the next viral wellness trend. Brands that succeed will match authenticity with measurable results, leverage partnerships to expand reach, and speak to both immediate and long-term benefits. Above all, companies need to recognize that the modern wellness consumer is not looking for a single product or service, but for an integrated, personalized path to living and feeling their best.