Consumers are prioritising their health goals of better sleep, improved mental wellbeing, and more energy, with a clear trend emerging for simple, everyday foods and drinks rather than niche supplements or complex new trends.
While weight loss still tops many health priorities, consumers are increasingly focused on finding accessible solutions for their physical and mental health, with key concerns being improving sleep (25%), boosting mental health (23%), and increasing energy levels (20%).
Vypr’s latest Consumer Horizon Report reveals how these health goals are shaping purchasing decisions. Despite a growing market of specialised health products, consumers are turning to familiar, often overlooked solutions. When it comes to boosting energy, for example, 38% of consumers choose bananas, 33% opt for energy drinks, and 25% turn to coffee. This stands in stark contrast to emerging ingredients such as guava, yerba mate, and goji berries, which attract the interest of less than 10% of the population.
Ben Davies, founder of Vypr, said, “Consumers are not buying into every new health trend. Instead, they’re sticking to tried-and-tested foods and drinks that offer a practical way to meet their needs. This preference for the familiar—such as bananas for energy, chamomile tea for sleep, and nuts for mental wellbeing—demonstrates a shift away from the complex and toward the simple and accessible.”
When it comes to sleep, consumers are also looking to everyday solutions like chamomile tea (18%), lavender oil (17%), and magnesium supplements (16%). Furthermore, interest in sleep aids continues to grow, with 26% of consumers considering purchasing lavender oil, 25% thinking about sleep tea blends, and 23% looking into magnesium supplements.
Mental health is another major focus for consumers, with 24% incorporating antioxidant-rich foods like berries and leafy greens into their diets. Other popular choices include nuts and seeds (21%) and coffee (21%) for their potential mental health benefits. At the same time, consumers are making conscious efforts to avoid foods that are perceived as negatively impacting their wellbeing. For example, 25% are reducing their intake of highly processed foods, 19% are cutting back on energy drinks and high-fat foods, and 18% are drinking less alcohol.
“Retailers and manufacturers face a key challenge in meeting these shifting health priorities while ensuring affordability,” said Ben. “Consumers are making health-conscious choices, but they still want products that fit into their everyday lives and budgets.”
The demand for products supporting gut health is also on the rise, with 25% of consumers incorporating beneficial bacteria into their diets, and 60% being open to buying gut health products. With greater awareness of the gut-brain connection, the popularity of these products is expected to increase as they become more affordable and widely available.
Functional foods are also gaining momentum, with 59% of consumers purchasing functional foods at least once a month—an increase from last year. Retailers like Marks & Spencer with its Brain Food range and Holland & Barrett’s Food with Benefits range are already leading the way in this category. However, as with other health products, the challenge remains in balancing health benefits with affordability.
Supplements remain an important part of consumers’ health routines, particularly for energy. A quarter of consumers take vitamin B (25%), followed closely by multivitamins (24%) and iron supplements (20%).
As the demand for sleep, mental wellbeing, and energy solutions grows, the grocery sector has an opportunity to cater to these evolving health priorities by providing accessible and affordable options that resonate with consumers’ desire for simplicity and effectiveness.
Vypr’s findings are based on responses from 2,000 people, drawn from a nationally representative sample of its 80,000-strong UK consumer community.
