The Wellness Industry in the USA: How to Win Over Millennials

As Millennials approach their 30s and 40s, their focus on health increases

Let's explore the four target consumer profiles in America to which wellness offerings can be directed

The spread of fitness classes, the adoption of apps focused on mental health, and the introduction of new technologies to monitor performance demonstrate how wellness has become a priority for American consumers.

According to a McKinsey report, sales of these services and products in the United States amount to $450 billion and are growing at 5% annually.

Leading the market are Millennials, who are approaching middle age and must face the physical and emotional changes that come with it. Consequently, they are the consumer segment in the USA that spends the most on this category, partly due to the increasing prevalence of chronic diseases like diabetes, depression, and hypertension.

American consumers are looking for products that meet the needs of all dimensions of wellness

For Millennials, the concept of wellness goes well beyond just the absence of disease and embraces a more holistic view that integrates various aspects of daily life:

• Health: goes beyond traditional medicines and supplements, including medical devices, telemedicine, and personal devices capable of monitoring individual physical status. The main trend is personalization, with the spread of products and services tailored to the needs of each consumer;
• Fitness: the pursuit of perfect physical shape remains a point of interest for American consumers, who are trying to return to pre-COVID levels. In this scenario, sales of creative and innovative equipment, such as Peloton equipment, have increased the most;
• Nutrition: has always been an integral part of the wellness concept, but now Millennials see food as one of the tools to achieve their aesthetic goals and spend more on diets, calorie-counting apps, or weight loss beverages;
• Aesthetics and Personal Care: is primarily linked to the perception of a healthy and athletic appearance and the use of products like serums, collagen supplements, and skincare solutions aimed at giving a younger and more toned appearance to users, but also includes non-surgical aesthetic treatments such as Botox, fillers, and permanent makeup;
• Sleep: is a category that has recently become part of the wellness concept and as such represents fertile ground for innovations. Traditional melatonin-containing medications are joined by apps that monitor sleep patterns, blackout curtains, and weighted blankets (gravity blanket), which promote sleep and relieve stress;
• Mental Balance: attention to mental health has started to spread recently and especially after the COVID-19 pandemic, during which many experienced high-stress situations. More than half of Americans say they want to pay more attention to this aspect, mainly through apps and other meditation tools.

The boundaries between the different categories are becoming increasingly blurred, and American Millennials are seeking comprehensive products and services that meet the needs of various dimensions of wellness.

Who are the Millennials to target in the USA?

Despite the ongoing innovations and growing competitiveness in the wellness industry, some areas remain unexplored and offer companies interesting opportunities to enter the market by responding to the evolving needs of American Millennials. For this reason, let's explore the characteristics of the four main profiles to which to direct offerings.

• Long-Gamer: Millennials are the segment most likely to invest in anti-aging solutions, relying on technology and science to ensure long-term wellness. The most popular products are indeed wearable devices, which allow monitoring of physical wellness, analyzing sports performance, and even calculating biological age. This is the case with the American start-up Tally Health, which checks the speed of an individual's aging process and suggests lifestyle changes to slow it down;
• Care Hacker: 44% of Millennials have at least one chronic disease and therefore place great importance on the convenience and speed of care. As a result, these consumers push companies to innovate in telemedicine services and position themselves strategically in frequently visited locations, keeping in mind that 70% visit the pharmacy more often than the doctor's office. This is also the group most inclined to use medications for other purposes, such as vitamins, supplements, or weight loss products;
• Bio-Harmoniser: consumers in this group are mainly women eager to establish a deep balance between body and mind, using ancient medicinal practices and holistic approaches that focus on stress elimination. To meet the needs of this group, companies must adopt a low-intensity approach, synchronizing with the body's natural rhythms, such as sleep, digestion, and the menstrual cycle;
• Blue-Zoner: this group is inspired by the "blue zones," geographical areas where people live longer than average due to favorable environmental conditions and a healthy lifestyle. Since most Millennials will not be able to experience life in these regions, such as Greece, Sardinia, or Japan, the goal is to make their own homes as similar as possible to these places, following their daily lifestyle as well. That's why this group decorates spaces with plants, minimalist design, and neutral colors, seeking solutions that improve air quality, combat pollution, and dampen external noise. The wellness market in the USA is growing rapidly and the future outlook is promising.

The ongoing innovations suggest that this is a fertile ground for experimentation and that American consumers are becoming increasingly demanding. Companies that can tap into emerging trends and offer multifunctional solutions to improve the overall health of Millennials are destined for success and to gain a competitive edge in the United States.