INSIGHT

Over 70% of US and UK consumers say wellness is now more important to them than ever before. It has become an intrinsic part of our psyche informing how we live and engage with our environment.

 

In the travel & hospitality space, global wellness tourism is predicted to reach a market size of $1.25 trillion by 2025. This is the fastest growth rate of any wellness sector as consumers prioritise wellness while on holiday and awareness of healthcare tourism rises.

 

And while people are still looking for long-term flexibility in their working hours and location, recent research has shown that nearly half of UK employees say being around others improves their mental health while at their place of work.

 

However, a wealth of innovation around high-end physical health including immune-boosting treatments, sleep wellness tracking and extensive at-home health screenings, is starkly contrasted with research which has shown that Gen Zs report the lowest wellbeing of all generations.

 

And among all generations, social wellbeing, i.e. a sense of belonging to and contribution to a community, remains the lowest performing of the wellness dimensions.

 

All this leads to a broader re-examination of what health and wellness means on a larger scale.

STRATEGY

As the dimensions of wellbeing continue to blur, brands are exploring fresh approaches to instil wellness into spaces and services.

 

New digital brands and partnerships are exploring the nuanced meanings of wellbeing for wider audiences. Digital platform Woo looks at what wellness means for Gen Z audiences and Sport England’s This Girl Can campaign has teamed up with Strava to help women reconnect with physical activity as part of a supportive community.

 

And brands across every field are looking inward to ensure wellbeing is at the core of their business.

 

Mason Fifth is one of the first WELL-certified residential buildings in the UK, positioning itself as a transformational home & community in the heart of London. Residents are encouraged to connect and discover simple pleasures together through holistic programming within an environment designed specifically to evoke calm and ‘help you thrive’.

 

Many brands not obviously linked to wellness are redesigning their office spaces with employees’ wellbeing and new ways of working in mind, while others recognise the need to transform their company culture. Quick to tap into this trend is Headspace, which is now offering workplace culture services with a new leadership education programme aimed at encouraging better wellbeing approaches within organisations.

DESIGN

Personal and social wellbeing, and consequently inclusivity, were a focus at the 60th edition of Milan Design Week – from Sabine Marcelis for IKEA lighting solutions for emotional wellbeing to the OTO chair, designed to comfort those with autism.

 

In keeping with the continued interest in biophilic design, nature also featured heavily at Design Week as studios and brands are further exploring the application and benefits of biophilic design on wellbeing in private and public spaces.

 

Michele Perlini’s ‘My Secret’ is a floating spa module inspired by Japanese wellness and can be placed anywhere – on water or in a forest.

 

Timberland and Stefano Boeri Interiors’ Floating Forests installation advocates regreening urban areas and spotlights the benefits this type of ecosystem can provide for climate change efforts and residents’ quality of life.

 

Ongoing efforts to re-wild urban spaces to restore biodiversity and create ‘urban wellness playgrounds’ are not limited to conceptual design fairs.

 

Heatherwick Studio plans to ‘create a new blueprint for the future of city centres’ in Nottingham through ‘nature romantically reclaiming the frame of the former Broadmarsh shopping centre’, demonstrating wellness can be made accessible in everyday spaces through proximity to nature.