COVID-19 Contingency Planning : Health, Wellness & Beauty

Trends

In our third feature from the Covid-19 Contingency Planning report we explore the impact the outbreak is having on the Health, Wellness and Beauty sectors.

As fear of the virus spreads, hand sanitiser, anti-bacterial products, pain relief and immune-boosting remedies have been in high demand, often selling out or remaining out of stock for some time. With people grappling with emotions brought on by the pandemic, brands are helping consumers to decelerate, find resilience and channel those feelings into positive rituals and experiences.

‘Whether there is a flu or any type of illness outbreak, it definitely drives a flight to wellness,’ says Susan Roddy, managing director of the consumer, food and retail group at investment bank Houlihan Lokey. ‘Consumer demand for preventative and self-care products escalates across all demographics.’

Elsewhere, anxious consumers have embraced the homebody lifestyle, remaining indoors in order to mitigate exposure to germs, as well as their spread. Meanwhile, as people seek to manage their stress and anxiety, apps such as Headspace and Talkspace have been promoting themselves across social and digital platforms. With gyms being forced to close, fitness companies like Peloton have responded by giving consumers free access to their app-based classes for 90 days so that they can stay in shape without compromising on their safety – and possibly convert into full members at the end of the trial.

Published by:

16 April 2020

Author: Kathryn Bishop and Victoria Buchanan

Image: Soap by Jason Morrison

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Health, Wellness and Beauty Impacts

Our latest research into health and wellness and its sister sector beauty have revealed a shift towards Conscious Deceleration, as mental wellbeing, daily rituals and a balance of nature and science become paramount for consumers. As sectors that require human expertise and high-touch guidance, Covid-19 is pushing consumers to trade in-person experiences fordigital platforms that positively support their mental and physical state.

Bricks-and-mortar: While global health retailers have noted spikes in demand for products that support immunity or have anti-bacterial properties, others have framed their stores as safe spaces. In the UK, cosmetics retailer Lush offered public hand-washing in-store without the need to make a purchase to help ease the spread of the virus.

Customer service: Social distancing is affecting businesses built around physical experiences, such as spas and make-up counters. MAC Cosmetics and SpaceNK are among several beauty retailers which quickly introduced no-touch policies in-store, while Sephora employees used digital tools for product demonstrations.

Digital experience: Consumers demonstrating greater awareness and adoption of hygiene protocols quickly shunned gyms and yoga studios, driving brands such as Barry's Bootcamp, Peloton and ChromaYoga to stream classes via IGTV or their own apps to help people maintain wellbeing and energy levels during self-isolation.

Campaigns and marketing: Amid the uncertainty of Covid-19 and its impact on our health and communities, the Global Wellness Institute (GWI) launched PositivelyWell, an online resource designed to promote optimism among people and 'replace fear with a focus on wellness'.

'Whether there is a flu or any type of illness outbreak, it definitely drives a flight to wellness.'

Susan Roddy, managing director, consumer, food and retail group at Houlihan Lokey

What This Means

1. As consumers become acquainted with virtual consultations, beauty brands will embrace and develop hands-free virtual make-up experiences and try-on tools, rebuilding the links between experience and beauty retail.

2. The anxiety and fear related to Covid-19 will take time to dissipate, leading to the emergence of a new generation of therapists specialising in isolation and remote therapy services for mental wellbeing.

3. As the virus limits people's daily contact, At-home Fitness platforms will become the new normal, providing an immersive, efficient and social way for those in isolation or recovering to maintain or rebuild their health.

4. Wellness and global beauty supply chain disruption, combined with consumer anxiety about germs, will lead to wider use of microbial trackers for products.

Later this week, we will be exploring how Covid-19 is affecting the Luxury sector.

We’re all facing new challenges and pressures as a result of the coronavirus outbreak. So, due to high demand, we have decided to open up our new Covid-19 Future Planning webinar to the public. Click here to watch our 30-minute webinar hosted by senior futures analyst Victoria Buchanan.

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