Since 2005, spending on wellness products shows an upward trend with a higher proportion spent on wellness for fresh categories. The average household spends about $148 per month (or 19% of all monthly spending) on categories that have a wellness halo, according to a new report by The Hartman Group, Bellevue, WA, titled “Reimagining Health + Wellness 2010.” Wellness, as we know it, is currently undergoing a great transformation, the report suggests. More than half of all consumers (54%) say they have recently changed their views on health and wellness. Younger consumers, for example, cite stress (51%) and energy levels (47%) as triggers for changing their views on health and wellness.

“Increased spending on products beneath a wellness umbrella, particularly in fresh food categories, reflects what we have been witnessing for more than a decade now,” said Laurie Demeritt, Hartman Group president and COO. “Consumer understanding of wellness has moved away from traditional notions of condition treatment and disease prevention and toward attaining a better quality of life. They are looking for products and services that help them meet their wellness goals and aspirations. With virtually all consumers involved in wellness on some level, this represents tremendous opportunities for CPG manufacturers and retailers.”

This most recent report aligns with previous Hartman Group Wellness Lifestyle Insights reports that point to health and wellness no longer being a niche market dominated by a small group of consumers. Consumers across the full spectrum of involvement in wellness can now, at least aspirationally, articulate quality of life as the meaning of wellness. The reports find consumers are practical and seeking more flexible, simple ways of incorporating wellness into everyday life and view indulgence and pleasure as essential to well-being.