Major retailers are capitalizing on Americans’ post-pandemic focus on health and wellness by transforming holiday shopping into a supplement and self-care bonanza, marking a significant shift in consumer priorities.
Story Overview
- Wellness gifts are becoming a major holiday category as retailers expand supplement and health product offerings
- Ulta Beauty is dedicating up to 45 feet of store space to wellness products, adding nearly 30 new wellness brands
- Americans plan to spend an average of $247 on beauty and wellness gifts this holiday season
- Target is considering expanding wellness sections as their Ulta partnership ends in August 2025
Retailers Embrace Wellness Revolution
Major retailers are dramatically expanding their wellness offerings as Americans increasingly prioritize health and self-care following the pandemic. Ulta Beauty leads this transformation, expanding wellness shops from 4-8 feet to 45 feet in a third of their 1,450 stores. The retailer added nearly 30 new wellness brands, bringing their total to approximately 100, including supplements, aromatherapy oils, and sleep aids that promise genuine health benefits rather than superficial solutions.
Target’s Chief Commercial Officer Rick Gomez confirmed wellness trends are cutting across multiple product categories, from protein-enhanced snacks to workout gear. The retailer is exploring expanded wellness sections as their Ulta Beauty partnership concludes in August 2025. This strategic shift reflects growing consumer demand for practical, health-focused products that deliver measurable benefits rather than empty marketing promises that have dominated retail shelves for years.
Supplements in your stocking: Why wellness gifts are gaining steam for the holidays and beyond https://t.co/uu8ukSvo6R
— CNBC (@CNBC) December 22, 2025
Consumer Spending Patterns Signal Cultural Shift
Holiday shoppers are allocating substantial resources to wellness gifts, with beauty and wellness ranking as the fourth-highest spending category at $247 per person according to Circana research. This trend particularly resonates with millennial consumers and households earning over $100,000 annually. The demographic shift suggests Americans are rejecting superficial consumerism in favor of investments that support long-term health and well-being, a refreshing change from wasteful spending patterns.
Bath & Body Works launched new wellness-focused collections featuring natural essential oils and therapeutic ingredients like hyaluronic acid. The company’s senior vice president Kristie Lewis noted increased demand for products addressing genuine health challenges such as sleep difficulties and stress relief. This consumer behavior demonstrates a mature approach to spending that prioritizes functional benefits over fleeting trends or status symbols that characterized previous generations’ gift-giving habits.
Market Innovation Addresses Real Health Needs
Companies like Grüns are revolutionizing supplement delivery through adult gummy vitamins that provide nutritional benefits equivalent to traditional greens powders. The company, founded in 2023, expanded beyond basic supplements to include immune support and children’s formulations. This innovation represents genuine market responsiveness to consumer needs rather than artificial demand creation through marketing manipulation that has plagued the supplement industry for decades.
Wellness brands are addressing previously overlooked life stages, including pre- and post-pregnancy needs and menopause support. Neom Wellbeing focuses on sleep improvement products, while retailers like Best Buy now carry health-tracking wearables like Oura rings. These developments reflect a market maturation where companies provide legitimate solutions to real health challenges rather than exploiting consumer insecurities for profit, marking a positive shift toward responsible capitalism.
