Generation Z as Wellness Consumers
DM 510 : Consumer Behavior
Ariel Ione Christensen
Colorado State University
Abstract
Emerging phenomena are a necessity to incorporate in academic research. Without it, reasoning would be left without jurisdiction and scientific method. In 2019 two surfacing sensations are the first generation to grow up entirely with smartphones, Generation Z, and the overarching commercialization of health and wellness. For the purpose of this study, we were particularly interested in the occurrence of health and wellness products and categories within trendy retailers such as Urban Outfitters, Free People, and Sephora which are directly targeting young consumers such as Generation Z. More specifically, we will be discovering elements in the pre-purchasing stages of the decision making process for Generation Z when purchasing health and wellness products, emphasizing the theorized reliance on social media. Using an exploratory mixed methods approach Generation Z students at a midwestern university will be surveyed in a three part study utilizing open and close-ended questions. The results will be categorized according to findings in data collected.
Keywords: Generation Z, Health and Wellness Industry, Consumers, Social Media
Introduction
The world is an economic marketplace. Its evolution involves the evolution of the world around it. Natural events occur, companies are born, new generations emerge, and trends develop. The ebb and flow of generations and trends marks the historical trajectory of the marketplace. In 2019 the foremost generation is Generation Z making up roughly 32 percent of the marketplace, contributing approximately $143 billion, and influencing around $300 billion of indirect spending in the US alone (Barkley, 2018; Kohl, 2019). With a behemoth influx of wealth and consumers it is imperative for companies to navigate the touch points in connecting with this generation. A key proponent of reaching the Generation Z audience is through technology and most exceptionally through social media (Curtis, Ashford, Magnuson, Ryan-Pettes, 2019). This pioneering communication platform is not only fundamental for exploitation of trending product phenomenon but also for repetitive exposure during the pre-purchase phases featured in the five-stage consumer decision making model: need recognition, search for information, evaluation of alternatives, purchase decision, and post-purchase evaluation (Kotler & Keller, 2012). A global trend in 2019 is the health and wellness industry generating a proposed $4.2 trillion dollars (Global Wellness Institute, 2018). Health and wellness have now become a mainstream thread in the media and commercialization (Kickbush & Payne, 2003). More notably in this economic width is the nascent health and wellness category featured in major trendy retailers such as Urban Outfitters, Free People, and Sephora. The term health and wellness no longer extends to the fundamentals of nutrition and fitness, but exists in a range of tangible products involving technology and daily application such as weighted blankets and personal diffusers. Typically affiliated with beauty categories, these products are proposing anti-aging, self-care, and mental health. With these two powerful rising entities of Generation Z and the health and wellness industry, it is the purpose of this study to explore the relationship explicitly concerning Generation Z’s pre-purchasing behaviors prior to making purchases from health and wellness categories in trendy retailers.
The two aforementioned categories of understanding the population and trending commercialization of health and wellness are of monumental importance to understanding the marketplace. Despite this significance, scarce academic research and slim private market sector research has been conjured on the relationship of the upcoming Generation Zers and the health and wellness marketplace. A large degree of the private market sector’s research, which is paltry, regards Generation Z’s influence in the workplace and the demands for wellness programs. These programs consist of holistic approaches and services within the infrastructure and culture of the office and less about health and wellness products. Additionally, the vast majority of research on the health and wellness industry focuses on organic foods and supplements. While major retailers such as Target, Urban Outfitters, and Walmart are placing greater emphasis on the health and wellness product categories, it is curious why there is an apparent absence in research on the developing phenomenon. Even more so, trendy retailers such as Urban Outfitters, FreePeople, and Sephora have begun incorporating a health and wellness product category and are anticipated to continue to do so (Raphael, 2018). Trendy retail most notably targets younger consumers, which Generation Z falls under. This expansion in major trendy retailers’ product categories indicates a major trend and consumer demand relatively untouched by academic and private market sector researchers. In this study we hope to further understand what Generation Z consumers actually demand as far as perceived attributes and product attributes go and their beliefs about health and wellness.
With an anticipated resurgence of 17 percent through 2020, purchasing from health and wellness categories in trendy retailers will be assessed, specifically in relation to the pre-purchase steps of the five stage decision-making model for Generation Zers (Global Wellness Institute, 2018). This study will use a three part exploratory mixed method approach sampling Generation Z students at a midwestern university while utilizing the prominent Kotler and Keller's five stage consumer decision making model as a theoretical framework (2012) . Since the pre-purchasing stages will be of concentration, the study will ask participants to recount past purchase behavior of health and wellness products through surveys and focus group interviews. According to research, Generation Z favors and ultimately sources information and products through social media. It is no surprise that social media has been a monumental influence on the omni-channel marketing for companies; therefore, the frequency of use and reference of social media will be an important factor to consider for the pre-purchase phases as independent variables. Other factors along the pre-purchasing stages such as desired product attributes, perceived benefits, and overall beliefs will all be considered independent variables, and ultimately the purchase decision of the health and wellness products as the dependent variable. When breaking down the pre-purchasing stages, the factors of perceived benefits, desired products attributes, and overall beliefs could also be considered dependent variables to the independent variables of social media exposure. In order to have consistency and transparency, the definition of health and wellness products will be limited to the non-perishable merchandise offered by major retailers. The Global Wellness Institute, “a global”, has declared such products are “personal care, anti-aging, and beauty” (2018). The main focus on apparel companies is due to the trending incorporation of health and wellness product categories, specifically online. While other industries such as airlines, tech, and other major department stores are adhering to the health and wellness trend, this study will predominantly focus on Generation Z consumers who are purchasing health and wellness products from trend-dominant companies (Raphael, 2018).
Objectives
The objectives of this study are the following.
To provide further consideration to the trending phenomenon of health and wellness categories within trendy retailers such as Urban Outfitter, Free People, and Sephora.
To explore the pre-purchase relationship of Generation Z and the health and wellness industry specifically in regards to exposure on social media.
Research questions for this study are the following.
RQ1: What are the primary motivations of Generation Zers in purchasing health and wellness products (are these intentional purchases, if so what is prompting the purchase)?
RQ2: What are the key product attributes and perceived benefits they are looking for?
RQ3: What role does social media play in regards to Generation Z’s purchasing from health and wellness categories featured in trendy retailers?
Consumer Decision-Making Theoretical Framework
The framework referenced in this study is one of the most commonly used models in regards to the consumer decision making process, Kotler and Keller’s five-stage consumer decision making model (2012). The model is represented in five stages of need recognition, search for information, evaluation of alternatives, purchase decision, and post-purchase evaluation (Kotler & Keller, 2012). While the entire decision making process will be recognized, this study will predominantly focus on the first three pre-purchasing phases of need cognition, search for information, and evaluation of alternatives. It is within this pre-purchasing phase that the question of acquiesce of occurs. Due to the nature of this exploratory study, these three phases are taken into consideration and extrapolated on during the survey design and data analysis.
Literature Review and Hypothesis Development
Generation Z
Generation Z or Generation Zers, Gen Next, or Gen I are the foremost anomaly of generations (Berge & Berge, 2019). They are argued to be born between 1995-1997 to 2010 and have undoubtedly been exposed to the most technological data in childhood over any other generation (Berge & Berge, 2019; Kohl, 2019; Southgate, 2019). As with any generation, the historical and evolutionary events that take place during childhood and adolescence provide major imprints on the landscape to which that population operates and sees the world (Berge & Berge, 2019). These happenings breathe air into the formulation of neural pathways and subconscious development (Fox, Levitt, & Nelson III, 2010). Some of the landscape of Generation Z involved growing up entirely with cellular devices or mobile phones (depending on parental boundaries), the internet, and, for the United States, the most diverse peer group with 48 percent from “communities of color” (Kohl, 2019; Southgate, 2019). From this exposure, studies have found a particular set of characteristics amongst Generation Z.
First off, Generation Zs’ exposure to infinite, available data and information of the internet garnered a curious appreciation to real world events unlike ever before. Most generations heard about global events through word of mouth or traditional forms of news and were never truly exposed to them. Generation Z, however, had a litany of references online to justify events and witness a cacophony in real life imagery (Southgate, 2019). Events don’t just occur in other countries but are made apparent to their personal worlds as well. Additionally, this abundance of information and expanded awareness opened them up to question traditional formats of life and exposure to global trends such as the health and wellness industry and conscious consumerism (Schweiger & Ladwig, 2018). This curiosity amongst data is coupled with interactive mechanisms of the internet such as search engines and click buttons that not only equates to a high level of experimentation but neurological reward for doing so (Southgate, 2019). Although these traits of openness and experimentation are arguably applicable to their developmental stage in life, Generation Zers want hands-on experience in seeing results (Magda Stachowiak-Krzyżan, 2019).
Ubiquitous across studies, results indicate that most Generation Zers daily spend time on social media platforms such as YouTube and Instagram sourcing for data over other modes of traditional entertainment (Schweiger & Ladwig, 2018; Magda Stachowiak-Krzyżan, 2019; Southgate, 2019). Research on the pedagogy for Generation Zers has rendered that they are apt to credulousness and favor influential sources without judgement of the credentials (Southgate, 2019). Thus, instilling trust in social media influencers and platforms. Additionally, there are neurological rewards and adaptations for jumping to various forms of information rather than spending time on the result (Southgate, 2019). Research has proven that the algorithms associated with consistent notifications and application based clicking and shifting trains the brain to feel a sense of reward when interacting and fragmenting attention (Schweiger & Ladwig, 2018; Southgate, 2019). This habit has several interpretations, one “described them as living in a“world of continuous updates” which might attribute in the negative to their lower attention spans, but in the positive, to a better ability to multitask” (Schweiger & Ladwig, 2018).
There are other cases of Generation Zers spending a fraction of the time on reading material and identifying ‘keywords and phrases’ to come to conclusions as opposed to meticulously reading (Southgate, 2019). Thus, establishing a habit of keyword identification and pursuit when taking in information.
These elements of extreme openness to alternative lifestyles, curiosity in experimentation, unreliable sourcing of data, neurologically rewarded immediacy in decision making, and rapid keyword identification are imperative characteristics for marketers and companies to be aware of when communicating with Generation Z. While this generation surely had its diversity in upbringing comparable to past generations, it cannot go without argument that these characteristics are also attributable to their development stage in life as adolescents and young adults.
Health and Wellness Industry
The health and wellness industry has become a household topic (Kickbush & Payne, 2003). Originating with traditional medicine, transpiring to food and nutrition, and now taking place in all facets of capitalism. In 2003 an article was published on the ‘wellness revolution’ discussing, at that time, the development of a “health literate population” consisting predominantly of female baby boomers (Kickbush & Payne, 2003). It was projected that the industry would expand to $1 trillion in sales equivalent to the healthcare industry by 2013 (Kickbush & Payne, 2003). It is now 2019 and the industry consists of $4.2 trillion in sales and is permeating all demographics including younger generations (Global Wellness Institute, 2018).
Even the most conservatively considered companies are taking stances on health and wellness offerings such as health insurance benefits, fitness packages, and local, organic products (Raphael, 2018; PSFK, 2019). A recent Forbes article indicated how the industry is becoming more than products and services, it is “ indicative of a broader lifestyle movement to prioritize wellness for physical, internal and spiritual health... set to continue as wellness shifts from a singular goal to a lifestyle habit” (Danziger, 2018). An example of this is the expansion into companies such as Sak’s, Best Buy, Barney’s, Westfield, The Goods Mart, Anthropologie, Debenham’s, and Sephora (Raphael, 2018; PSFK, 2019). According to PSFK, an American research and marketing development company, “the sectors most likely to incorporate new health and wellness products and services into their offerings in the next two years are hospitality (79%), beauty (79%), apparel (69%), restaurants (69%) and grocery (63%)” (PSFK, 2019). Other companies such as Global Wellness Institute, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization dedicated to wellness research, provides similar predictions for the industry (2018). As of 2017 the industry accounted for $4.2 trillion comprising 5.3 percent of global economic output and is predicted to grow by 6.4 percent annually from 2015–2017 (Global Wellness Institute, 2018). From a $3.7 trillion to a $4.2 trillion market, this development is “nearly twice as fast as global economic growth (3.6 percent annually, based on IMF data)” (Global Wellness Institute, 2018). The expenditures of $4.2 trillion are over half as large as the global health expenditures ($7.3 trillion, based on WHO data) (Global Wellness Institute, 2018). These compelling statistics indicate a blockbuster industry awaiting companies to tap into. The various industries profiting in the health and wellness industry and their economic generation are further broken down in Figure 1.
Figure 1.
Human beings are demanding alternative, holistic perspectives on health. Health and wellness is no longer a marketing slogan, company mission, or even a trend but truly a global lifestyle. This $4.2 trillion industry is shaping infrastructures and operations throughout the world, one of which is the apparel industry growing by 69 percent (PSFK Editorial Team, 2019). Once considered a source of vanity and adoration, is now an all encompassing lifestyle. Not only do brands such as UrbanOutfitters cater to the latest trends in fashion but also the latest trends in health and wellness, carrying products such meditation pillows, crystals, and tarot cards (Urban Outfitters, 2019). According to Global Wellness Institute, these products would fall under the personal care, beauty, and anti-aging sector of the wellness industry which in 2017 constituted $1,083 billion (2018). Actor and Health Advocate Gwyneth Paltrow started her famous blog and ecommerce website GOOP in support of healthy living and has helped in pioneering these wellness merchandise trends such as the ‘Jade Egg’ product for female hygiene and sexual health (GOOP, 2019). Similarly, however not the focal point of this paper, the Global Wellness Summit released a 2019 trends report mentioning the continuous expansion of the health and wellness industry into sectors such as “Well Fashion” to “Prescribing Nature” (2018). The health and wellness industry can certainly be understood in myriad of definitions and terms and has demonstrated success in industries such as food, real estate, tourism, fitness, preventative medicine (Global Wellness Institute, 2018).
Generation Z as the Wellness Consumer
Mental health is the leading concern in research in regards to Generation Z’s health and wellness. From trade research and articles, a main focus of health and wellness for Generation Z relates to stress, anxiety, and depression in the contexts of school and work. The World Health Organization posits that one out of five of children and young adults have a mental health disorder, over half of mental health disorders start before the age of 14, depression in general is a leading cause of disability affecting over 264 million people, and every 40 seconds someone commits suicide (2019). While some of these statistics are to the general public, they no doubt affect younger generations such as Generation Z. In one study on Generation Z’s perspectives of the workplace including notions of wellness programs, eco-friendly offices, and mental health days, 58 percent claimed feeling depressed or sad and 55 percent experienced symptoms lacking interest, motivation, or energy (Kohl, 2019). Most trade articles derive from similar standpoints of company initiatives and health benefits; however, the research only goes this far. Since there is a small fraction of academic research on the health and wellness industry outside of food and nutrition, it is understandable that research on Generation Z’s health and wellness consumption is analogously slim and relevant to initiatives rather than consumption. Research on Generation Z as sustainable consumers exists, however, does not consider health and wellness products. This research focuses on labels, foods, and sustainability throughout supply chains. More research on Generation Z as health and wellness consumers is needed.
Methodology
This study will be a mixed methods exploratory three part study using post-purchase reflection as a means of understanding pre-purchase stages of Generation Z’s purchasing of health and wellness products. Since this is an exploratory study, the perceived variables of exposure, time, beliefs, and purchase decision will be considered whilst sculpting the surveys. Thus during data analysis, independent variables of Generation Z’s post-purchase phases will be assessed and therefore categorized, and a dependent variable of purchasing health and wellness products is assumed. The method of surveying through open and close-ended questions is used on the affiliated university campus for convenience.
Sample
The samples for this study will include two groups: a larger sample size of a minimum of 100 participants that will be administered surveys twice over the course of a month and a smaller focus group of 10-15 participants. The large sample population for this study will be Generation Zers from a midwestern university’s apparel and merchandising course at Colorado State University. The second sample population will be a focus group of Generation Zers derived from the aforementioned university apparel and merchandise course who shop at either FreePeople, UrbanOutfitters, or Sephora regularly. These retailers were chosen primarily due to the relevance to younger consumers such as Generation Z and the companies’ projected expansion in these categories (Raphael, 2018). In order to test this, a prerequisite question will be featured in the first sample’s survey to determine which participants shop regularly at the aforementioned retailers and are advocate consumers of health and wellness products. Regularity could be several times a month or year with regular viewing or visitation of the websites or retail stores. Due to the target markets of these retailers and the population of Generation Z, the focus group sample population will be limited to students born between 1995-2010. As previously mentioned, Generation Z represents one of the most diverse generations, thus an accurate measurement of ethnic representativeness will be considered reflecting the degree of diversity as 48 percent being of “communities of color” (Kohl, 2019; Southgate, 2019).
Data Collection
Considering the research questions featured earlier, the main prerogatives for data collection in this study are discovering Generation Z’s relationship to health and wellness thus health and wellness products and Generation Z’s journey along the pre-purchase stages of these products. The data collection will occur in a three part study with two large samples and one smaller focus group. The first and third parts will involve administering a tangible survey at the beginning of class using a mix of open and close-ended questions. The first survey will be administered to apparel and merchandising courses collecting a minimum 100 students’ responses. Part two will include a focus group of 10-15 Generation Z students who responded in the first round of surveys as regular health and wellness consumers, specifically shopping from the stores of Urban Outfitters, Free People, or Sephora. Students from the focus group will be included in the data analysis process. In order to provide further credibility to the results, a follow up survey will be sent out a month later, assessing whether the prior results held true.The third survey will be administered to the same group in part one of students in apparel and merchandising courses. Questions will be relative to specific purchases, use of social media, and general beliefs about health and wellness products. Questions might be phrased as: how frequently do you purchase health and wellness products, what was the last wellness purchase you made, when and why, and do you follow health and wellness advocates on social media, if so who and why? The three surveys are featured in the appendix. The surveys were designed to cater to demonstrative characteristics of Generation Z found in research, such as humor and authenticity (Southgate, 2019).
Data Analysis
The data will be analyzed in the following fashion. First, the objectives and research questions will be revisited and cross-referenced to the results from the three phases of surveys to see if enough data was collected and whether questions were answered. Next, the data collected will be cross-tabulated and filtered out according to prominent categories. These categories may include outlining demographic features, post-purchasing behaviors, and specific product purchases; however, seeing as this is an exploratory study the categories will be determined based off of the results while keeping in mind the initial research question pursuits. In order to have credibility, the first sample population will be administered a follow-up survey, and the focus group will be included in the data analysis process. This will be measured by the comparative analysis of results from the first and second surveys. The descriptive statistics will be emphasized and inferential statistics will be drawn accordingly. If the results obtained do not meet a sufficient saturation point, further surveys will be administered or reconsidered.
Conclusions
The purpose of this study is to understand the pre-purchasing phases Generation Zers go through prior to purchasing health and wellness products. This then gets magnified into the specific pre-purchase phases when purchasing from trendy retailers such as Urban Outfitters, Free People, and Sephora seeing as this is a growing phenomenon of new product category featured in trendy retailers. By using mixed methods in an exploratory study, the objective is not only to discover the patterns underlying Generation Z’s pre-purchasing phases of health and wellness products but to further comprehend the health and wellness industry and the population of Generation Z. Both Generation Z and the health and wellness industry are blossoming economic monoliths that are inevitably taking stage in the economic marketplace. Simultaneous to these developments is the widespread utilization of the internet and social media for marketing purposes. It is through this study that the industries and consumer behavior disciplines can have expanded insight into the relationship of all three. This study posits contribution to the growing body of research on Generation Z, the health and wellness industry, and the use of social media in the pre-purchasing phases of the consumer decision making process. More specifically, there are objectives in understanding what types of health and wellness products Generation Z purchases and how often, what product attributes do Generation Z consumers look for in health and wellness products, Generation Z’s beliefs about the health and wellness industry, and the role specific social media accounts play in influencing purchases of health and wellness products. Since the featuring of health and wellness product categories in trendy retailers is a relatively new phenomenon with faint research, the fruition of a new framework considering Generation Z’s pre-purchasing behaviors toward health and wellness purchases is potentiated.
Limitations
A major limitation of this study is the stereotypical academic survey distribution to the university demographic. The convenience factor of apparel and merchandising students in a midwestern university substantiates only a niche part of the Generation Z population not only in educational level but geographic and relative interest. An additional limitation is the specificity in retail shoppers. The population shopping at FreePeople, UrbanOutfitters, and Sephora indicates a certain demographic whom has extra spending money, caters to these lifestyles, and is interested in these specific trends. Other companies and industries provide health and wellness products, however, this study illuminates the unique category featured in trendy retail companies. Finally, the results collected and analyzed can be potentiated as developmental traits or indicators of a developmental phase in life seeing as this population is in their early twenties and is just reaching adulthood. Nonetheless, the results are still an important contribution to the research of an emerging, economically sound group to understand.
References
Barkley. (2018). The power of gen z influence: how the pivotal generation is affecting market spend. Barkley. Retrieved from http://www.millennialmarketing.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/Barkley_WP_GenZMarketSpend_Final.pdf
Berge, Z., & Berge, M. (2019). The economic ABCs of educating and training generations x, y, and z. Performance Improvement, 58(5), 44–53. https://doi.org/10.1002/pfi.21864
Curtis, B., Ashford, R., Magnuson, K., & Ryan-Pettes, S. (2019). Comparison of Smartphone Ownership, Social Media Use, and Willingness to Use Digital Interventions Between Generation Z and Millennials in the Treatment of Substance Use: Cross-Sectional Questionnaire Study. Journal of Medical Internet Research, 21(4), e13050. https://doi.org/10.2196/13050
Danziger, P. (2018). Emerging brands grabbing share of the retail wellness market. Forbes. Retrieved from https://www.forbes.com/sites/pamdanziger/2018/02/20/emerging-brands-grabbing-share-of-the-retail-wellness-market/#580f08144173
Engel, J., Blackwell, R., & Miniard, P. (1986). Consumer behavior (5th ed.). Chicago: Dryden Press.
Fox, S., Levitt, P., & Nelson Iii, C. (2010). [Review of How the Timing and Quality of Early Experiences Influence the Development of Brain Architecture]. Child Development, 81(1), 28–40. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1467-8624.2009.01380.x
Global Wellness Institute. (2018). Statistics and facts. Global wellness institute. Retrieved from https://globalwellnessinstitute.org/press-room/statistics-and-facts/
Global Wellness Summit, (2019). 2019 global wellness trends report. Retrieved from https://www.globalwellnesssummit.com/2019-global-wellness-trends/download-report/
Igel, C., & Urquhart, V. (2012). Generation z, meet cooperative learning: properly implemented cooperative learning strategies can increase student engagement and achievement. Middle School Journal, 43(4), 16–21. https://doi.org/10.1080/00940771.2012.11461816
GOOP. (2019). About goop. Retrieved from https://goop.com/whats-goop/
Kickbusch, I., & Payne, L. (2003). Twenty-first century health promotion: the public health revolution meets the wellness revolution. Health Promotion International, 275. Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com/docview/200049578/
Kotler, P & Keller, K.L. (2012). Marketing management. Pearson Education, (14).
Kohl, A. (2019). Is your employee wellness program ready for generation z? Forbes. Retrieved from https://www.forbes.com/sites/alankohll/2019/06/12/is-your-employee-wellness-program-ready-for-generation-z/#54054af55c7c
Lincoln Financial Group. (2016). Gen z and the challenges/opportunities driving their financial mindsets.Retrieved from https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B1Axm9XHqBDgek10eTBkb3BKb051R3U4aXZKd0d0NjRzVEZB/view
Magda Stachowiak-Krzyżan. (2019). The use of social media by young consumers in purchasing processes. Marketing of Scientific and Research Organisations, 31(1), 83–108. https://doi.org/10.2478/minib-2019-0014
Murugesen, J. (2013).Consumer behavior and brand loyalty - at theoretical framework and overview. Retrieved from https://shodhganga.inflibnet.ac.in/bitstream/10603/185767/10/10_chapter%203.pdf
PSFK Editorial Team. (2019). The top 8 most unexpected retailers embracing health & wellness trends. Psfk. Retrieved from https://www.psfk.com/2019/01/retail-health-wellness-debrief.html
Raphael, R. (2018). From sephora to barney’s, retailers bet on the nebulous wellness industry. Fast company. Retrieved from https://www.fastcompany.com/40557990/from-sephora-to-barneys-retailers-bet-on-the-nebulous-wellness-industry
Schwieger, D & Ladwig, C. (2018). Reaching and retaining the next generation: adapting to the expectations of gen z in the classroom. Information Systems Education Journal.
Southgate, D. (2019). Emergence of gen z and its impact in advertising. Journal of advertising research.
Urban Outfitters. (2019). Health and wellness. Retrieved from https://www.urbanoutfitters.com/wellness-products
World Health Organization. (2019). Mental health. World health organization. Retrieved from https://www.who.int/mental_health/en/
Appendix
Survey Questionnaire
Year of birth Gender F M N
What is your definition of health?
What does wellness look like to you? Paint me a picture (not literally because you have ten minutes to take this survey) ...what is your ideal?
Are you familiar with health and wellness products? Y N
What do you consider a health and wellness product? Provide three examples, if you can. You can do it! (I’ll give you a hint, when you think of people in California they probably own )
Would you consider yourself a health and wellness consumer? Y N
Have you recently purchased health and wellness products (non-perishables)? If so, what and from where? (These products could be beauty, self-care, fitness, anti-aging, etc.).
How did you hear about said product?
What would be your main reason for purchasing a health and wellness product?
What would be a desirable health and wellness product for you?
Do you know others who purchase health and wellness products? If so, what are some examples of the products they purchase?
Do you shop at Urban Outfitters, Free People, or Sephora? If so, have you browsed or shopped in the health and wellness section?
Why or why not?
If I were to give you a gift card for $150 dedicated solely to health and wellness products, what would you purchase or do with it?
Do you follow any health and wellness programs or people on social media? If so, who?
If you were to look up health and wellness accounts, what hashtags or keywords would you search?
What kind of accounts do you follow on social media or read about? Circle all that apply.
Humor beauty health & wellness travel sports fashion motivational
If you were only allowed to follow one type of account from listed above, which one would you choose?
Do you have any interest in improving your health and wellness? If so, what would you do?
Are you available for a follow up interview to be featured in academic research? If so, please leave contact information :) I appreciate you.
Follow-Up Interview questions
What was the last wellness product you purchased?
Tell me about your experience leading up to buying this product.
How did you hear about said product?
Did you do any research on this product? (read reviews, look for alternatives, etc.)
How much time lapsed between your initial exposure to the products and purchasing it?
Would you purchase this product or similar products again? Or have you?
What prompted you to purchase this? What did you want as a result of buying this? What did you want to change
What was the most important feature of this product? And, was is fulfilled?
What was the first thing you did with the product when you got it?
Follow-Up Survey
Survey Questionnaire
Year of birth Gender F M N
What is your definition of health?
What does wellness look like to you? Paint me a picture (not literally because you have ten minutes to take this survey) ...what is your ideal?
Are you familiar with health and wellness products? Y N
What do you consider a health and wellness product? Provide three examples, if you can. You can do it!
Would you consider yourself a health and wellness consumer? Y N
Have you recently purchased health and wellness products (non-perishables)? If so, what and from where? (These products could be beauty, self-care, fitness, anti-aging, etc.).
How did you hear about said product?
What would be your main reason for purchasing a health and wellness product?
What would be a desirable health and wellness product for you?
Do you know others who purchase health and wellness products? If so, what are some examples of the products they purchase?
Do you shop at Urban Outfitters, Free People, or Sephora? If so, have you browsed or shopped in the health and wellness section?
Why or why not?
If I were to give you a gift card for $150 dedicated solely to health and wellness products, what would you purchase or do with it?
Do you follow any health and wellness programs or people on social media? If so, who?
If you were to look up health and wellness accounts, what hashtags or keywords would you search?
What kind of accounts do you follow on social media or read about? Circle all that apply.
Humor beauty health & wellness travel sports fashion motivational
If you were only allowed to follow one type of account from listed above, which one would you choose?
Do you have any interest in improving your health and wellness? If so, what would you do?