The 2020 global pandemic greatly accelerated the appreciation for and emphasis on health and wellness. Americans now prioritize living spaces that do not pose a threat to their or their family’s health and well-being. As a result, Americans increasingly gravitate toward designs, components and fixtures that enhance indoor air quality, feature antimicrobial surfaces and use materials that are easy to clean and disinfect. Additionally, Americans are increasingly seeking a connection to nature, which is reflected in the growing trend of bringing natural elements indoors and creating functional outdoor spaces that serve as havens for fresh air, exercise, relaxation and socializing.
The 2024 Houzz Outdoor Trends Study found that 33% of homeowners surveyed plan to upgrade their outdoor spaces to make them more livable and suitable for entertaining family and friends. Additionally, 12% of homeowners surveyed are creating new or upgrading existing outdoor kitchens, presenting a growing market opportunity for many kitchen and bath showrooms.
“Showroom sales professionals can assess the relevance of wellness products and approaches by asking the right questions.”
Many showroom customers prioritize health and wellness, focusing on physical fitness, regular exercise, healthy eating, adequate sleep, stress management, work-life balance and maintaining mental and emotional well-being. According to Kantar’s Americans at Home Study, these factors have made health and wellness the primary driver behind Americans’ home-related choices. The studyfound that mental health and emotional well-being were ranked as the highest priorities, with 85% and 89% of respondents, respectively, identifying them as key concerns. Yet satisfaction levels for these priorities were reported at 65% and 66%, highlighting a significant gap between their importance and the fulfillment of these needs.
This data spells additional opportunities for kitchen and bath and decorative plumbing and hardware showrooms because they offer products and solutions that promote and enhance physical, emotional and mental health and well-being. By creating in-home spas, recommending biophilic design elements (a fancy term for incorporating natural elements into a kitchen, bath or other rooms in the home) or specifying products such as steam showers or therapeutic tubs, showrooms can help homeowners wash away the stresses of the day, recharge their mental batteries, rejuvenate tired muscles and enjoy a few minutes of solitude – free from texts, social media alerts and even the patter of little feet.
The Growing Wellness Trend
Demand for wellness is not going to wane. In fact, the demand for anything relating to personal wellness is expected to grow significantly. The United States has the largest wellness economy in the world, valued at $1.8 trillion, according to a report from The Global Wellness Institute in partnership with the National Academy of Sports Medicine. GWI estimates that the wellness segment in the North American real estate market is expected to grow at a compound annual rate of approximately 18 percent from 2023 to 2028.
Further evidence of the importance and value of wellness is highlighted in a study by Worth Media Group and Boston Consulting Group titled Worth’s Millennial Mindset Report: How Wealthy Millennials Earn, Invest and Spend. The report offers a window into the desires and demands of a significant showroom demographic. Millennials have surpassed Baby Boomers as the largest generation in the U.S., and high net-worth Millennials are particularly focused on investing in their health and well-being.
Eighty-nine percent of wealthy Millennials stated that maintaining a healthy lifestyle was important to them, and 87% indicated that they like to invest in themselves. Additionally, more than two-thirds of Millennials reported spending money on health and wellness within the last year, making it their top purchase category.
Another study by the global research firm Freedonia Group found that the U.S. market for bathroom spa and luxury products is expected to grow at an annual rate of 4.3% and reach a value of $3.8 billion by 2025. This demand is driven by a growing interest in at-home luxury experiences, homeowners’ desire to invest in renovations that prioritize self-care and relaxation and an aging population seeking accessible and luxurious products to meet their needs.
Wellness and the Showroom
These recent surveys and studies confirm that wellness, health and well-being are priorities for a significant percentage of American homeowners. However, the degree of importance is likely to vary among showroom clientele. Showroom sales professionals can assess the relevance of wellness products and approaches by asking the right questions of potential clients. A good starting point is to seek permission to ask certain questions about family routines, which can help identify the products and solutions best suited to a customer’s project, lifestyle and goals.
At Designer Bath’s two showrooms in Watertown and Beverly, MA, showroom brand manager Mindy Sevinor recognizes that customers want health and wellness products and solutions for their new baths that will make them feel better. The challenge for bath designer-sales professionals is identifying each customer’s hot buttons. Most customers are unaware that a steam shower can help remedy their children’s colds or provide relief after a strenuous pickleball game. They may not realize that they can soak in a tub that delivers massage therapies to sore and tired muscles. “We teach our sales professionals to ask the probing questions that reveal habits and lifestyle choices,” Sevinor relates.
At Lutz Bath & Kitchen in San Francisco, V.P. Phil Hoterek reports that about half of his clientele has a heightened awareness of wellness products, especially integrated bidet toilets, steam, saunas, hydrotherapies and cold plunge. Lutz Bath & Kitchen capitalizes on this heightened awareness by connecting with customers who have a little bit of knowledge but are not aware of how different therapies and wellness products can be successfully incorporated into their projects.
“Most customers don’t realize they can add steam to any shower,” Hoterek notes. “Our sales team uses prompt questions such as, ‘Would you be interested in adding steam to your shower or cold plunge capabilities to your tub?’ To some customers the answer is a resounding no. To others, the question is a conversation starter about possibilities that customers are completely unaware of.”
At General Plumbing Supply’s six northern California showrooms, the key to capitalizing on the demand for wellness products is making the customer feel connected to something that offers a tangible benefit to their health and well-being, relates director of showrooms Kate Brady. When showroom sales professionals explain that hydrotherapies offered by jetted, air or combination tubs help to relax muscles, reduce pressure on joints and alleviate pain from a strenuous workout or medical conditions such as arthritis, customers can visualize and feel the sensory experiences that these products deliver.
“The key,” Brady emphasizes, “is for showroom professionals to focus on the perception of the benefit as much as a genuine benefit. If the sales team can make a customer connect to a feeling generated by a product, it generally sells in a wellness category.”
At Millers Elegant Hardware in Boca Raton, FL, General Manager Debbie Miller sees a tremendous opportunity to educate trade professionals about the benefits that health and wellness products and solutions can bring to their clients. “As the most trusted advisor to clients, designers can be the greatest advocates a showroom and their clients can have,” Miller says. “Once trade professionals understand how a therapeutic tub, steam shower and other wellness products can boost circulation, reduce pain and inflammation, and help heal injured muscles, they make sales simply by telling their clients, ‘This is what you need.’”
Dedicated Spaces
Kitchen and bath and decorative plumbing and hardware showrooms can capitalize on the market demand for health and well-being solutions by creating a dedicated wellness center in their showroom. This center can highlight and, if possible, demonstrate the benefits offered by specific products and solutions.
A wellness center may include a working sauna, steam shower and/or tub with different therapy options such as aromatherapy, chromatherapy and sound therapy. Smart mirrors and smart toilets can be head turners to highlight functionality and benefits that most homeowners do not realize exist.
Sales professionals need to understand product styles, finish options and performance capabilities. Wellness comes with a language all its own that sales professionals need to learn in order to meet the demands of a new and growing customer base. The good news is there are easily accessible and understandable resources to aid them in this effort. The Decorative Plumbing and Hardware Association recently published a three-volume wellness series that explores key aspects of wellness design in single-family homes with an emphasis on the bathroom. This series explores products and design elements that contribute to making homes healthier and more enjoyable to use.
Health and well-being present significant opportunities for showrooms to align with consumer values. Showroom professionals who develop expertise in products and solutions that promote health and well-being are better positioned to exceed client expectations, enhance commissions, generate positive reviews and receive more referrals
Tom Cohn serves as the executive v.p. of the Decorative Plumbing & Hardware Association, North America’s largest trade association advancing the interest of decorative plumbing and hardware showrooms, manufacturers and representative agencies. Named a 2020 KBDN Innovator, Cohn also is president of Cohn Communications, a multidisciplinary marketing and association management firm headquartered in Washington, DC.