Health-minded consumers are drawn to products designed for greater well-being for various reasons. They prioritize regular exercise, balanced nutrition and mindfulness practices.
They prioritize sustainability and ethical concerns by searching for organic ingredients, plant-based options and products without artificial additives.
FMCG brands looking to capture this consumer segment must provide clear, comprehensive information about product impact on health and sustainability.
Exercise
Health-conscious consumers place great emphasis on nutrition, sustainability and well-being. Their psychographic profile also places great emphasis on future planning and community involvement; all this contributes to their desire to lead healthy lifestyles through balanced diets, exercise and self-care practices. Health conscious consumers tend to be married parents earning significantly more than non-health conscious counterparts and they demonstrate interest in products that support such lifestyles at premium prices (organic/non GMO products etc).
Consumers are seeking products with reduced sugar, such as those containing stevia or agave. Offering natural, lower sugar options can present brands with an opportunity, since 30% of consumers now look out for such items, an increase of three points from last year.
Nutrition
Health-conscious consumers have specific nutritional requirements they consider when making purchasing decisions, whether that means cutting sodium intake or calories. Their knowledge about what’s contained within food and beverage products influences their purchase decision greatly, with product packaging bearing much weight in this regard.
People who prioritize wellness take an integrative approach, understanding that physical, cognitive and emotional well-being are interdependent. Furthermore, their purchasing decisions reflect environmental sustainability.
These shoppers desire grocery stores with an assortment of healthy choices and products, prioritizing healthy ingredients, clear labeling and food safety when selecting what they will purchase. Furthermore, this seismic shift is altering how fast-moving consumer goods (FMCG) are manufactured, distributed and marketed – creating new opportunities for companies to develop healthier, better-for-you offerings that promote wellness.
Hydration
Hydration is essential to peak performance. No matter whether it’s sprinting or problem-solving, our bodies require adequate fluid intake in order to maintain the delicate equilibrium between body systems. Electrolytes help provide this support and ensure our fluid equilibrium remains in balance.
An effective hydration routine not only aids optimal muscle function, but it also replenishes any fluid losses during physical activity and regulates body temperature while providing nutrition absorption and waste elimination benefits.
With increasing consumer interest in health-oriented products, consumers are opting for healthier options more frequently than ever before and as such healthy brands are outstripping their non-healthy counterparts across major retailers. MikMak’s 2022 Grocery eCommerce Benchmarks and Insights demonstrated this by showing shoppers viewing healthy brands at higher purchase intent rates; for example Target customers were viewing healthier options at 33.9 percent – 1.5 percentage points above the overall category average!
Sleep
Restful sleeping is paramount for consumers who prioritize health. Sleep is one of the primary drivers behind wellbeing product sales worldwide, with nearly half of consumers wanting more products or services that promote restful rest. Consumers have many motivations for wanting to improve their sleep, from increased energy and mental clarity, to improved mood and physical health. Brands are realizing this trend by moving away from traditional medications in favor of innovations that promote overall sleep health. Examples include new apps like AI sleep trackers, blackout curtains and gravity blankets; functional ingredients and botanicals found in drinks (such as Arkadia’s Calming Chai with Ashwagandha and L-Theanine); as well as products which tap into holistic wellness trends – in which sleep plays an integral part of lifestyle behaviors.