{"id":17208,"date":"2025-07-09T15:41:55","date_gmt":"2025-07-09T15:41:55","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.gzjyws.com\/?p=17208"},"modified":"2025-07-09T15:56:39","modified_gmt":"2025-07-09T15:56:39","slug":"wellness-isnt-what-it-used-to-be-and-thats-a-good-thing","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.gzjyws.com\/id\/wellness-isnt-what-it-used-to-be-and-thats-a-good-thing\/","title":{"rendered":"Wellness isn\u2019t what it used to be \u2013 and that\u2019s a good thing"},"content":{"rendered":"
By Marko Dakovic, President, Health & Beauty, GMG<\/em><\/p>\n Not too long ago, health was something you checked in on only when something went wrong. You went to the doctor, visited the pharmacy, and picked up the prescription. Job done.<\/p>\n Today, that definition feels outdated.<\/p>\n What we\u2019re seeing, across the Middle East and globally, is a shift from reactive health to proactive wellbeing. The modern consumer is no longer waiting to fall ill to start paying attention to their body or lifestyle. Health is being redefined through a more holistic lens \u2013 one that includes mental clarity, emotional resilience, better sleep, digestive health, nutrition, movement, and yes, skincare routines built around ingredients most people hadn\u2019t heard of five years ago.<\/p>\n This isn\u2019t just a change in consumer behaviour. It\u2019s a full-scale cultural evolution. And one that\u2019s shifting how we think about the role of health and beauty in everyday life.<\/p>\n A generation that knows more \u2013 and expects more<\/strong><\/p>\n Much of this change has been driven by younger generations, according to a recent McKinsey report, primarily millennials who are leading the way in wellness-focused spending. Gen Z, meanwhile, has shown a noticeable shift over the past five years\u2014especially in the MENA region\u2014toward beauty and skincare. Under-30s now make up 55% of the region\u2019s population \u2014a generation that\u2019s connected, curious, and values authenticity.<\/p>\n In the past, skincare marketing focused heavily on anti-ageing, mostly targeting older demographics. Now, we\u2019re seeing Gen Z and millennial audiences stepping into wellness stores, scanning ingredient labels, and asking about retinol, niacinamide or probiotics. Not because of hype, but because they\u2019ve done their research.<\/p>\n The difference today is access to information. Health-related content, from expert videos, AI tools, to Reddit threads, is everywhere. People are becoming more aware, more curious, and more intentional. This means retailers and brands alike can no longer lead with vague promises. They need to lead with facts.<\/p>\n At GMG, we\u2019re helping lead this shift. Earlier this year, through our rebrand of Supercare, we\u2019ve created a new kind of retail health destination \u2013 one that combines pharmacy care with a wellness-forward experience. With the launch of the Supercare Derma Studio, we\u2019re also bridging the gap between clinical skin expertise and everyday skincare needs, providing consumers with personalised consultations and product recommendations tailored to their unique concerns.<\/p>\n We\u2019ve also strengthened our product offering, with more than 25 new brands introduced in 2025 alone, aligned with consumer needs and global wellness trends. Key focus areas include weight management, collagen, stress relief, sleep, and sports nutrition. In beauty, we work closely with local partners to bring first-to-market innovations to the UAE, including top-tier K-beauty brands \u2013 a category still seeing strong momentum across the GCC.<\/p>\n Beyond the buzzwords<\/strong><\/p>\n This shift in awareness also calls for greater responsibility. We\u2019ve seen a rise in the use of labels like \u201cnatural\u201d, \u201cclean\u201d, or \u201corganic\u201d across products. But what do these really mean? In many cases, there\u2019s still no global standard or universal regulation that holds those words accountable.<\/p>\n As an industry, we have a duty to help consumers cut through the noise. Education, whether through trained staff, verified certifications, or clearer brand communication \u2013 should be at the core of any modern wellness strategy. The more people understand what they\u2019re buying, the more confident and empowered they feel in taking care of their wellbeing.<\/p>\n Health is becoming more personal \u2013 and more digital<\/strong><\/p>\n Wellness has also gone digital. Consumers don\u2019t just expect products to be effective. They expect them to be accessible. Whether it\u2019s a pharmacy experience on WhatsApp, advice via telehealth, or same-day delivery of nutrition supplements, convenience now sits at the heart of health. In fact, the GCC\u2019s telehealth market is forecasted to exceed USD 2595 million by 2033, with growing emphasis on wellness and preventive healthcare and integration of telehealth platforms among the leading contributors.<\/p>\n Technology will continue to play a huge role in the future of the industry. AI, in particular, will have wide-ranging applications. From helping brands predict wellness trends to enabling more personalised consumer journeys. Within the GCC, AI is expected to shape the healthcare landscape, transforming the future of patient care. But for any of it to matter, it must make health more human \u2013 not less.<\/p>\n What\u2019s next<\/strong><\/p>\n As the definition of wellness continues to expand, I believe the Middle East region is uniquely placed to lead. The Middle East and North Africa (MENA) beauty and personal care market alone is projected to reach $60 billion by 2025. We have a digitally engaged, culturally diverse population with high expectations and strong spending power. The opportunity lies in listening closely to what consumers want, and to what they\u2019re still unsure about.<\/p>\n At GMG, our focus is on designing health and beauty experiences that meet people where they are \u2013 in their lifestyles, their cultural needs, and their values. We see wellness not as a trend, but as a long-term movement grounded in knowledge, trust, and progress.<\/p>\n Because while trends may come and go, the desire to feel better, more energised, more balanced, more informed, is here to stay.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" By Marko Dakovic, President, Health & Beauty, GMG Not too long ago, health was something you checked in on only when something went wrong. You went to the doctor, visited the pharmacy, and picked up the prescription. Job done. Today, that definition feels outdated. What we\u2019re seeing, across the Middle East and globally, is a… Continue reading Wellness isn\u2019t what it used to be \u2013 and that\u2019s a good thing<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":14,"featured_media":17209,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[63],"tags":[474,507,73],"class_list":["post-17208","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news-articles","tag-health-beauty","tag-wellness","tag-leadership","entry"],"yoast_head":"\n