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McKinsey Health & Wellness report shows consumers expect effective, science-backed solutions

Consumers expect food, beverage, and supplements companies to provide solutions that hit key trends and are backed by concrete evidence to prove they work. This is the conclusion from a survey of consumers in China, the UK, and the US published in the latest health and wellness report from management consulting company McKinsey.

The McKinsey 2024 Future of Wellness survey and follow up report highlight that the global wellness market is now valued at approximately $1.8 trillion, and is being driven by five distinct trends that are helping to shape the category and its future. These trends are impacting leading sub-categories, including women’s health, weight management, and in-person fitness.

Science and data-backed innovation spell future

The McKinsey survey findings were based on responses by 5,000 individuals, finding that around 80% of respondents consider wellness a top priority in their lives, something that is especially true among Gen Z and Millennial consumers. The report also points out that these younger consumers are purchasing more wellness products and services than other generations, especially in the areas of health, sleep, nutrition, fitness, and appearance.

“Across the globe, responses to our survey questions revealed a common theme about consumer expectations: consumers want effective, data-driven, science-backed health and wellness solutions,” the report stated.

When it comes to nutrition, consumers are looking for convenient solutions that are easy to integrate into their busy lives, with food subscription services and food-tracking apps proving to be most popular with Millennials.

The five leading trends shaping consumer health and wellness

The report highlights five wellness trends that are driving consumer interest in the category, including Health at home; Biomonitoring and wearables; AI-driven personalization; Clinical over clean claims; and The rise of doctor recommendations.

When it comes to food, drink, and supplement manufacturers, each of these trends is having an impact on the type of products that are going to be in demand in the coming years.

At-home testing is helping consumers to test for things like vitamin and mineral deficiencies, as well as cholesterol levels, something that is likely to drive interest in supplementation, as well as healthier foods with lower cholesterol levels. This presents an opportunity for brands to partner with testing kit providers or for brands with bigger resources to take an active role in providing the testing kits to develop a competitive advantage.

Likewise, with the survey pointing to a third of respondent using monitoring or wearable device, McKinsey underlines that that there is also plenty of potential for brand partnerships, helping to drive a switch to certain types of food, drink and supplements that are deemed to enhance health and wellness according to specific needs.

One in three US Millennials reported that they are interested in more personalised products and services, which could be boosted by AI technology.

“Technological advancements and the rise of first-party data are giving personalisation a new edge,” the report finds. “There is an opportunity to pair these tools with gen AI to unlock greater precision and customisation.”

‘Clinical over clean’ and doctor recommendations

The clean movement is showing signs of declining momentum, driven by consumer confusion about the meaning of ‘clean label’. McKinsey’s findings now point to a clearer liking for clinical claims instead, with half of UK and US consumers saying it would be a top factor in the purchase of health and wellness products and services.

“To meet consumer demand for clinically proven products, some brands will be able to emphasise existing products in their portfolios, while other businesses may have to rethink product formulations and strategy,” the report states. “Companies can boost the clinical credibility of their products by using clinically tested ingredients, running third-party research studies on their products, securing recommendations from healthcare providers and scientists, and building a medical board that weighs in on product development.”

Doctor recommendations are also becoming increasingly important across the health and wellness categories, ranking as the third most important influence for US consumers when making health and wellness decisions. McKinsey suggests that this area is most likely to have a positive impact on vitamin and mineral brands.