A new international study has identified the emergence of a consumer segment of affluent 25- to 44-year-olds whose attitudes to health and wellbeing are remarkably consistent across national boundaries.

Dubbed WELLZoomers, this cohort was first identified in WELLSurvey 1.0, a US study conducted in 2024 by Civano Advisory Services. The new follow-up study, WELLSurvey 2.0 – just published – expanded the research to include respondents in the US, UK and Germany.

The team surveying 857 adults aged 25 to 44, with median household incomes of US$131,000, £98,000 and €91,000 respectively.

The headline finding is that differences between WELLZoomers in these three markets are smaller than the differences between generations within any single country.

This highlights WELLZoomers as a global market segment with a shared world view, common behaviours and aligned expectations.

Researchers Kevin Kelly and Peter Yesawich estimate the worldwide opportunity associated with this group at US$540 billion (€459 billion, £397 billion).

What makes WELLZoomers compelling as a customer segment is that they're highly stressed and also highly engaged. They report greater emotional strain than older cohorts, driven by financial pressures, geopolitical instability and environmental concerns and their way of dealing with this is investing more in their health.

The survey found WELLZoomers with the highest interest in 14 of 15 wellness modalities tested, including massage, hydrotherapy, breathwork, blood testing, Traditional Chinese Medicine, Red Light Therapy, sound therapy and osteopathy.

This group don't don't view these as isolated purchases, but assemble personal 'ecosystems of wellbeing', combining products, services, experiences and digital tools to support their physical, mental and emotional health, with longevity as the overarching goal.

When asked how they assess wellbeing, 79 per cent said they judge it by how 'hopeful, joyful and energised' they feel.

Emotional health also carries greater weight for this group than it did for older generations, suggesting that wellbeing is understood as much through personal experience as it is through clinical measures such as blood testing.

WELLZoomers are heavy users of online health information, but also selective about what they trust. Ninety-five per cent of this group get their health content through digital and social channels, but only YouTube and podcasts were rated as reliable by the vast majority.

Products claims that are described as “clinically proven” and “evidence-based” were found to be more persuasive than things such as celebrity endorsements or influencer recommendations, with trust being a major issue.

WELLZoomers are seen by Kelly and Yesawich as the vanguard of a new kind of consumer who's seeking "integrated wellbeing ecosystems" rather than stand-alone products. "Operators who are able to deliver 'credible, connected and emotionally resonant' offerings will be best-placed to capture one of the largest and most scalable opportunities in the global wellness market", they said.

The findings of WELLSurvey 2.0 are being serialised by Spa Business magazine in partnership with Kevin Kelly and Peter Yesawich.

Read part 1 here (published 7 May)

Read part 2 here (released today)

Part 3 will be published on 21 May

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