Sunday, June 05, 2005

LOHAS – take with a pinch of sodium free salt

Lifestyles of Health and Sustainability (LOHAS) are reckoned to be a US marketplace worth $226.8 billion, according to the LOHAS Journal. I really like the precision of the market forecast!

Goods and services in this marketplace appeal to consumers who value: “health, the environment, social justice, personal development and sustainable living”. It is thought they represent approximately 30% of adults (US).

The ‘holistic’ worldview of the LOHAS Consumer is thought to believe in the “interconnectedness of global economies, cultures, environments and political systems but also in the interconnectedness of mind, body and spirit within individuals in order to achieve full human potential”.

Beneath the socio economic psychobabble there is something of worth with the LOHAS concept.

The five LOHAS categories include:

Sustainable Economy
Green building and industrial goods
Renewable Energy
Resource-efficient products
Socially responsible investing
Alternative transportation
Environmental management

Healthy Living
Natural, organic and nutritional products
Food and beverage
Dietary supplements
Natural personal care products

Alternative Healthcare
Health and wellness solutions
Acupuncture, homeopathy, naturopathy, etc.
Holistic disease prevention
Complementary medicine

Personal Development
Mind, body and spirit products: CDs, books, tapes, seminars
Yoga, fitness, weight loss
Spiritual products and services

Ecological Lifestyles
Ecological home and office products
Organic/recycled fibbers products
Environmentally friendly appliance
Eco-tourism and travel

My bet is the largest of these sectors, by many orders of magnitude, is the “healthy living”. I am sure there will be some interlinking of a consumer’s interest between the five sectors but I suspect this is a very complex and varied interrelationship. Dick Stroud www.20plus30.com

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