If health and wellness are perennial considerations, they are also personal. What works for one person or group won’t necessarily be effective for another. Indeed, the era of broad diets and one-size-fits-all fitness programs are outmoded and, frankly, proved trendy or flash in the pan because they didn’t always address relevant issues.

Sweeping generalizations about audiences aren’t effective for brands and retailers that are trying to connect with consumers and best position their products and solutions. For instance, a Baby Boomer is more likely than a Gen Z consumer to be interested in a nutrition-rich food that protects heart health. Likewise, a Gen Z’er may thumb through TikTok and discover a new recipe for a salad, while a Boomer is more apt to pull a cookbook down from the shelf.

Circana’s latest research affirms that long-held assumptions don’t work well, even within demographic groups. Our recent report, Generations' Quest for Healthier Lives, shows that wellness shows up differently not just by age but, importantly, life stage, as people prioritize certain things at certain points.

For those in the Gen Z age bracket, health is linked to identity, and wellness often intersects with social and environmental beliefs. Meanwhile, millennials who are juggling careers and parenting are seeking convenience, flexibility, and value. Other generational cohorts, including the youngest Gen Alpha and more mature Gen X and boomer age groups, have their own health and wellness catalysts that are based on their life stage.

Our research reveals other notable life stage-based behaviors and opportunities within the large and growing health and wellness market, where consumers focused on well-being wield a $1.3 trillion buying power. 

Home plate

When it comes to at-home and away-from-home patterns, wellness considerations influence more meals prepared and eaten at home.  Health-oriented shoppers’ spend outpaces all households at many U.S. retailers. At foodservice, many chains, including those known for salads and smoothies, are widening their footprint based on demand. 

Traffic signals

Segments of the population focused on health and wellness tend to shop at grocery and club channels, where they can find many fresh options, and spend less at dollar, convenience, and drug stores. That said, Gen Z’ers over-index for value stores, likely because of their comparatively smaller budget, and millennials visit club stores more than other generations.

Clicking with consumers

The digital channel is increasingly pivotal for marketers aiming to reach wellness-minded shoppers. Circana’s data shows that mobile is the default shopping channel for Gen Z and millennials, and social commerce is growing at a fast clip. At the same time, social media platforms are first stops for brand discovery for Gen Z and Gen Alpha consumers and are also where younger people look for recipe inspiration.

Staking their claim

Circana’s data uncovers generational differences on claims, based on needs and interests. Millennials are more interested in products with prebiotic and probiotic claims, for example, while more millennials and Gen X’ers seek out products that are higher in calcium. Gen Z is leading the overall push towards higher protein consumption. Here, messaging and product formats may be different; older consumers appreciate protein benefits such as preventing muscle atrophy, and younger consumers seek other benefits, like strength, energy, and weight loss or maintenance. 

Addition and subtraction

Interestingly, data on claims indicates that younger consumers are looking for added benefits to their foods and beverage, while older consumers are seeking to avoid things added to their foods and beverages. About a third of adults are seeking to curb consumption of ultra-processed foods (UPFs), a trend driven by older generations.

To learn more about how different generations approach health and wellness, including their interest and use of weight-loss medications like GLP-1s, watch the recent webinar on this topic that, to borrow a relevant phrase, never gets old.