NIQ survey: Health consumption trends are very different across generations. Generation Z values quick results, while families value well-being.

Increasing health awareness has become a cross-generational consumer trend, but there are obvious differences in what kind of health products consumers at different life stages are willing to spend money on. NIQ’s latest consumer trend insights found that although Gen Z, quasi-sandwich families, and two-person households without children all value health, their actual purchasing logic is different.

For Gen Z, the key to healthy consumption is “convenience” and “quick results.” The NIQ survey shows that although more than 30% of Generation Z regard maintaining physical and mental health and life balance as important life goals, what really drives purchases are often products that are easy to integrate into daily life and can quickly feel the effects.

For example, Generation Z’s purchasing power for zinc-related products is 42% higher than the average, energy drinks are 16% higher, and portable mouthwash is 62% higher than average. This reflects the expectations of this group of young consumers for health products, and they prefer immediate, sensible and convenient purchases.

For quasi-sandwich people with children, the focus of health expenditure has expanded from "themselves" to "the whole family." NIQ pointed out that this group of consumers regards health as a joint investment of the family. When spending on health care, they give greater priority to the well-being of the whole family, reflecting the centralized allocation of family resources.

Households with two persons without children present another healthy consumption pattern, and are more inclined to invest in health in a long-term and intensive manner. In the survey, 37% agreed that "health is the foundation of everything", the highest proportion among the three major ethnic groups; their emphasis on muscle gain and physical strengthening was five times higher than that of the other two groups.

Actual purchasing behavior also reflects this difference. In the past 12 months, the repeat purchase rate of protein products for households with two persons without children has reached 42%, and the average health food expenditure is 11% higher than the market benchmark. NIQ believes that the relevant data reflects the demand of this group of consumers for professional and high-end health products.

From Generation Z who pursues "quick and satisfying", to quasi-sandwich people who prioritize the well-being of the whole family, to two-person households without children that focus on long-term investment, although health has become a common concern, with different life stages, time and family responsibilities, the products and spending methods that consumers are actually willing to invest in also vary.