Consumer Shopping Habits for Wellness and Environmentally ...

Categories Vary in Their H+W Resonance
Categories vary in their relevance to H+W. Gateway categories are the most immediately relevant
to H+W. These categories, as ―gateway‖ suggests, are extremely important in opening further doors
to more advanced levels of H+W, forming both an ―entryway‖ and ―critical path‖ for the evolving
consumer. For example:
Supplements, as a broad category, often function as a gateway, as consumers move
from using more common vitamins, to specialty supplements, to, for some, herbal and
other more exotic specialty supplements
Use of incrementally natural (as compared to traditional or ―chemical‖) home cleaning
products often leads to use of more natural and natural/organic specialty cleaning, and
at some point may help spark interest in other, ―less chemical‖ H+W products such as
lotions and shampoos
Certain categories have direct H+W relevance, but do not often serve as gateways. For instance,
Oral Care products don‘t typically serve as gateways (in fact, we‘ve never heard of a consumer who
began a H+W journey with an emphasis on ―a more naturally healthy mouth‖). However, they do
serve as complements, in the sense that consumers that have been otherwise inspired toward H+W
will adopt, say, natural toothpaste as part of a holistic emphasis on natural personal care.
Finally, there are some categories that are neither gateways nor do they have clear ties to Health
and Wellness. These categories will be more difficult (but not impossible) to cultivate in terms of
H+W resonance, but are important for ―halo‖ purposes.
Gateway Categories
Figure 28 – Gateway and Non-Gateway Categories
Non-Gateway Categories Non-Gateway Categories
with Clear Ties to Health and Lacking Clear Ties to Health
Wellness
and Wellness
Home Cleaning
Books, Magazines, and
Education
Functional Beverages
Supplements
Children‘s Hygiene & Toiletries
Hair and Skin Care
Plant and Garden Care
OTC
Oral Care
Eye Care
Feminine Hygiene
Makeup & Cosmetics
Pet Supplies
Home Lighting
Office Supplies
Sporting Equipment
Toys and Games
It is also worthy to note that several categories residing in the Periphery of the H+W world, including
OTC, sporting equipment, and even some home goods categories such as lighting, are more
‗residual‘ than actually part of a dynamic product pathway. For the most part, they are ―always there‖
for every consumer and/or exist in the Periphery outside of any meaningful commitment to a H+W
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