What wellness looks like on every aisle
With this in mind, we can explore how wellness is showing up across retailers to meet demands and different decision drivers. From food and drink to personal care and pet products, each aisle is being reshaped by consumers’ evolving expectations—expectations rooted in emotional wellbeing, functional benefits, and lifestyle alignment.
Whole foods & plant-based alternatives
Whole food plant-based options: There’s renewed interest in whole, minimally processed plant-based foods. Shoppers are turning to ingredients like mushrooms, legumes, tempeh, and walnuts, moving away from highly processed meat substitutes. In one study, 40% of plant-based meat buyers cited health benefits as their main reason (source). Brands like Quorn highlight not only meat-free ingredients but also their protein and fiber content.
Sustainable choices: More consumers are choosing plant-based products for both health and environmental reasons, with 17% citing sustainability as a key driver (source). In response, retailers are expanding their eco-friendly and locally sourced offerings, tapping into this feel-good lifestyle shift.
Functional soft drinks
Gut health beverages: Digestive health drinks like kombucha, kefir, and probiotic-rich options from brands like Biotiful and Bio & Me are on the rise, driven by growing interest in gut wellness. In the UK, the functional beverages market is growing at 8.5% annually, with 70% of consumers seeking health-boosting drinks. Demand for probiotic beverages alone is expected to rise 30% by 2025 (source).
Functional Beverages: Drinks infused with adaptogens, nootropics, electrolytes, and botanicals are gaining traction for benefits like stress relief, focus, and immunity. Brands like Moju, Vita Coco, and Twinings Superblends are leading this space. Despite the UK’s tea tradition, herbal teas dominated online searches last year – making up 70% of the most-searched varieties – as consumers increasingly seek health over comfort (source).
Snacking
High-protein & high-fiber products: Protein and fiber remain top food performance claims, appealing to those focused on muscle gain, satiety, and gut health. A majority of Brits are on board—with 56% open to buying niche items like yogurt enriched with insect protein (source).
Convenient functional snacks: Snacks made with nuts, seeds, and legumes are gaining traction for their nutrition and convenience, with brands like Graze and Kallo leading the way. Health remains a priority across lifestyles – from parents to gamers – with 20% of UK consumers seeking snacks that offer functional benefits like gut support, better sleep, or immunity boosts (source).
Pet food & wellness
Human-grade & fresh pet foods: There’s a growing demand for pet foods made with human-grade ingredients, emphasising freshness and quality. Companies like Freshpet have capitalised on this trend, dominating 95% of the brick-and-mortar market over in the U.S. (source).
Functional and preventive health foods: Pet owners are looking for more than basic nutrition, driving demand for functional foods targeting joint health, digestion, and anxiety. Brands like Pedigree are responding with products like Multivitamins Joint Care Treats. This trend aligns with the 94% of owners who prioritise preventive care in their pets’ diets (source).
Personal care & beauty
All-in-one balms & creams: Versatile products like NIVEA’s classic blue tin and Weleda Skin Food are making a comeback as multitasking essentials – moisturisers, lip balms, hand creams, and highlighters for ‘glass skin.’ With 58% of shoppers favoring products that ‘do more with less,’ these items appeal especially amid cost-of-living concerns (source).
Personalised grooming & self-care: Once direct-to-consumer brands like Estrid, Wild, Fussy, and Skin + ME are now widely available in stores, offering sustainable, customizable, and convenient grooming products. NIQ highlights ‘proactive wellness consumers’ who spend £90+ more annually and over-index in facial skincare (+22%) and oral care (+17%) (source).
Mind & mood: The rise of the miscellaneous aisle
Originating with Aldi’s ‘middle aisle’ and Lidl’s ‘middle of Lidl,’ these aisles started as bargain zones for household essentials but have evolved into curated spaces filled with seasonal, lifestyle-enhancing products that spark excitement and convenience.
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Women’s health: The supplement range now prominently includes products for hormonal balance, menopause, and overall female wellness.
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Mood & sleep aids: Natural supplements with ingredients like reishi, chamomile, and L-theanine are increasingly popular for stress relief and better sleep.
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Home cleaning & maintenance: Cleaning is now part of wellness rituals, with signature scents and laundry boosters from brands like Lenor transforming chores into sensory experiences. Eco-friendly, refillable, and multi-surface products that combine effectiveness with aromatherapy are also in demand.
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Routine building: Mixed zones combine candles, herbal teas, skincare, books, chocolates, and sleep aids to create complete self-care moments. With 64% of shoppers feeling more positive when sticking to routines, brands supporting these habits earn strong loyalty (source).
Categories with Future Scope
Frozen for Freshness:
Holistic shoppers are focusing on cooking and storage methods that preserve health benefits, boosting demand for frozen foods catering to gluten-free, low-carb, low-sodium, and high-protein diets. In 2025, the frozen food sector is evolving with functional ingredients delivering clear health benefits.
Frozen vegetables, long valued for locking in freshness and nutrients without preservatives, are promoted heavily on freshness by brands like Asda. Frozen foods also aid portion control and reduce waste.
Convenience drives a third of consumers, with 25% valuing longer shelf life – both encouraging healthier eating. Additionally, 68% of UK consumers view frozen foods as more affordable than fresh, making them an accessible, economical choice for healthy diets (source).
Beers, Wine & Spirits (BWS):
Wellness trends shape BWS with moderation cues like single-serve formats, low/no ABV options, natural ingredients, and functional benefits attracting mindful drinkers.
Functional & botanical spirits : Botanical spirits such as Three Spirits and Sentia Spirits use adaptogens, nootropics, and herbs to mimic the mood of drinking without alcohol.
Probiotic beers: Brands like Stella Artois Unfiltered and Guinness support gut health but rarely promote these benefits openly.
However, rising no-alcohol brands are making hefty ‘health’ claims to entice shoppers to switch:
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Clausthaler Dry Hopper – A highly regarded alcohol-free beer with a hoppy profile
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Collider – A no-alcohol beer infused with functional mushrooms and botanicals for mood-boosting
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Wild Life Botanicals – Sparkling wines with 0.5% ABV, infused with vitamins and minerals for wellbeing
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Muush – Offers mixers like Rhubarb & Apple with functional mushrooms