Drawing from retail sales, consumer panels and e-receipts, NIQ found that wellness priorities are converging across personal, social and environmental dimensions.
“As we looked at the data, a couple things stood out to us,” said Sherry Frey, vice president of wellness at Nielsen IQ and author of the report.
“We actually didn’t know if we would continue to see the growth of sustainable products and conscious products and environmentally friendly [products], especially, as we’re starting to see that consumers may be a little bit concerned about what’s happening from an economic standpoint. That was one thing that really stood out is that, while there was a bit of a pullback in ‘22 and ‘23 on things around sustainability, it’s really continued to outpace the total store, whether it’s animal welfare or the environment or social responsibility.”
Although Frey noted it should be no surprise, another trend that stood out is GLP-1 drugs. These medications are reshaping how consumers shop for food and wellness products, with NIQ data finding that consumers are shifting toward intentional, clean-label purchases.
“What surprised us or has just been fascinating to watch is as more consumers are coming on and taking these GLP -1 drugs, there’s really a shift in their behavior,” Frey said.
“It’s not just as simple as, ‘oh, they eat less food.’ They’re shifting what they’re buying, but even when you look at what they buy as a whole, they’re buying more intentionally—so products around clean label, more beauty products, more supplements, eating more organic, but even just paying attention to clean label.”
NIQ has been tracking GLP-1 trends since 2023, and Frey said the most fascinating part has been observing the evolution of the GLP-1 consumer.
“From Instagram to TikTok to Reddit, you saw consumers talking more about being on GLP-1s, sharing information and really, this is when we started to see the acceleration of consumers changing their habits—so buying much more protein, much more products around hydration, really focusing on gut health and the fiber,” she said.
Social media, particularly TikTok, has led to increased GLP-1 discussions that have destigmatized weight loss medications, Frey noted. Social media has also played a major role in the purchase of other health and wellness products, with health, beauty, vitamins and supplements topping the categories of TikTok purchases.
“I think the piece that’s fascinating about TikTok is that it’s so great for discovery,” Frey said. “It’s so great for consumer engagement. Our data shows that almost 70% of people, when they buy on a social media platform, it’s an impulse purchase.”
Overall, the report identified five major trends that are capturing consumer interest: nutrition and gut health, weight loss, wellness, health-related tech and conscious buying.
Frey emphasized that now is an exceptional time for wellness brands to capitalize on the opportunity that health and wellness presents, urging transparency, multi-channel presence and strategic influencer partnerships to navigate the complex landscape of the increasingly health-conscious consumer.
To hear a more detailed explanation of the top 5 trends shaping the industry, the barriers they present and how brands can leverage these trends to win customer loyalty, listen to the NutraCast above or on your preferred platform.
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