In this month’s Retail Insight, Jacey Bunker, Managing Director of retail and destination marketing agency BWP, discusses wellness in the retail space and the impact of this trend on retail brands and destinations alike.
It is clear that wellness is an ever-growing societal focal point. Data from asset management company Pradera Lateral shows that spend on experiences, health and wellness is growing, with these categories showing consistent year-on-year growth for the last three years.
While it is a priority for brands to demonstrate a link to the wellbeing space, authenticity is key to resonating with audiences and building real connections. Audiences today are switched-on to fake news and pre-disposed to reject any perceived attempt to buy loyalty.
This is where retail schemes can provide a vital role, bridging the gap that can exist between some brands and consumers. By creating a go-to space where brands can participate to varying degrees, shopping centres allow customers to wholeheartedly buy into the overarching wellness messaging without feeling compromised. Savvy destinations can leverage the wellness trend, amplify resident brands, drive visitation and work towards building an inclusive community that encompasses customers, brands and the destination itself.
Given the breadth and diversity of retail brands, finding common ground isn’t always easy. From a marketing perspective, the development of an overarching, multi-channel campaign is an ideal way to bring all stakeholders together, ideally building to an on-site moment that all parties can be a physical part of. Events are a powerful tool in leveraging wellness for retail destinations and form a natural moment in time to come together under a unifying banner. A campaign like this, driven by a retail scheme, presents resident brands the option to take part, or not and an invaluable opportunity to connect with the localised audience.
Wellness lends itself to this type of campaign event very naturally, as it carries such positive messaging and provides an inclusive touchpoint that all audiences can relate to, regardless of demographic. It also makes for an emotional connection that transcends the transactional, helping consumers to feel understood and move them along the customer journey towards loyalty and brand affiliation.
In terms of brand involvement, wellness is truly multi-layered, allowing a very diverse retail brand mix to feasibly and authentically take part in an event. Whether it’s food, nutrition and supplements from a gut health perspective, quality of sleep incorporating interiors and fashion, fitness looping in sports and leisure brands or personal hygiene for health & beauty. There are few areas of retail that do not lend themselves to wellness.
Thanks to the increasing focus on a healthy lifestyle, the UK retail market is seeing a marked shift towards wellness. That’s why there has never been a better time for retail destinations to prioritise this area to attract and connect with shoppers and to support and elevate brands. Investment in events to support this trend demonstrates a true understanding of the retail market and communicates to the sector a willingness to invest for the betterment of all.
The proof is in the numbers, as we have seen carefully curated, multi-channel wellbeing events drive a tangible increase in footfall and substantial uplift in sales over the campaign period. As retailers integrate wellness into their product lines, services and partnerships, retail destinations need to acknowledge and invest in this area too, thereby elevating the on-site offering and attracting more like-minded brands.
Investment in marketing and events like these helps to keep footfall up, driving consumers to bricks & mortar instead of the easy default to online because there is added value in making the trip, particularly when the event is pertinent to public consciousness and the issues of the day that have captured consumers’ interest. This approach also demonstrates to retail brands that a scheme understands their challenges and is willing to help drive the solution.
Overall, the focus we are seeing on wellness in the UK retail market reflects a much broader societal shift towards healthier, more sustainable choices. Retail schemes that are switched-on to these preferences will be best-placed to meet the ever-evolving demands of these health-minded consumers in a genuine and effective way, thereby supporting their retailers and strengthening their own position as a must-visit destination.
