Consumer Shopping Habits for Wellness and Environmentally ...

Figure 9 – When did Most Recent Change in Views on H+W Occur
100%
90%
49% 61% 46% 52%
80%
70%
60%
50%
40%
30%
51%
39%
54%
48%
20%
10%
0%
More than a year ago
During the last year
Total Core Mid-level Periphery
Q8: “When would you say the most recent change in your views on health & wellness took place?” | Base: Shoppers that have
changed their views on what H+W means to them (n=932; 73 Core, 607 Mid-level, 252 Periphery). | Source: GMDC 2009 Survey,
Mar. 2009.
Triggers for Increased Participation in the World of H+W
As stated above, the overarching reason that consumers engage in wellness activities is their pursuit
of quality life experiences. Initial consumer involvement in H+W is usually triggered by a number of
events or changes that provoke a reevaluation of one‘s H+W behaviors or lifestyle. Below are the
four most reported H+W triggers for consumers that emerge through extended in-person discussion.
These triggers vary slightly from those that emerged from our quantitative survey, with data reported
from it further below. However, both data sources broadly agree that aging and personal or vicarious
health conditions form top triggering events.
HEALTH CONDITIONS OR EXPERIENCES
Diagnosis with a health condition or illness motivates many consumers to enter the World of Health &
Wellness in hopes of reversing or managing the condition or illness. The health experiences of
others can also act as triggers; for instance, the diagnosis or death of a friend or family member can
be similarly motivating. The analogy of a ―wake up call‖ is used by consumers to describe an illness
or the disconcerting medical diagnosis of someone in their social network.
AGING AND LIFESTAGE MILESTONE BIRTHDAYS
Approaches to H+W do not change markedly due to changes in age, rather age acts as trigger to
increased interest in H+W. However, this is only true to a point, as at extreme old age, health issues
become acute and any ―holistic‖ approach to H+W may lapse into more primary and acute health
care.
For many consumers who are not already committed to the H+W lifestyle, the first signs of aging
prompt an engagement with wellness products and activities in a more intentional way. These signs
may coincide with milestone birthdays (e.g., 30, 40) or may be more gradual side-effects of aging.
For example, weight becomes harder to manage, strength and/or physical performance starts to
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