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From collagen shots and adaptogens to the rise of prebiotic sodas, the well-documented wellness craze is proving it’s got staying power. While wellness brands were long at the mercy of nutritionists and pharmaceutical figureheads, the influx of health-focused products on retailer shelves has opened the gates to all, and consumers can’t get enough.
Though with a boom comes saturation. And against the rising backdrop of competition, it becomes more difficult for brands to cut through and reach their target markets. Previously, wellness shoppers neatly cascaded through the four funnel stages — awareness, interest, desire and action — to make a purchase, but this traditional model is struggling in the age of AI and its advancing algorithms. Consumers can now confide in ChatGPT for their wellness concerns and readily compare product prices across brands and marketplaces.
As purchase consideration time increases, those looking to cash in on the wellness wave must look to alternative discovery pathways. Seventy-three per cent of shoppers regularly discover products on social media, but only 10 per cent complete purchases there, according to connected commerce agency Front Row. Instead, consumers might discover a collagen product on TikTok, validate it through reviews, and compare its price across marketplaces and brand sites. Gone is the funnel, as consumers flow seamlessly through discovery and purchase loops: from social inspiration and product validation, to omnichannel checkout and eventual brand loyalty.
But as the linear pathway continues to break down, it’s becoming harder for brands to track and acquire customers. “Consumers bounce between five to seven touchpoints before purchasing, making it difficult to maintain consistent messaging and track attribution,” says Christopher Skinner, chief revenue officer of Front Row. With discovery materialising across multiple platforms, content saturation presents a further hurdle, Skinner says. “Brands are struggling to cut through the noise while maintaining authenticity.”
By offering support across retail media, content creation and Amazon marketplace management, Front Row ensures that wellness brands can bridge the gaps between key consumer touchpoints. Probiotics brand Seed Health launched on Amazon in February 2024, facilitated by Front Row, with the former’s CEO, Cathrin Bowtell, seeing the marketplace as an obvious choice. “[It’s important to] meet people where they are — and for millions, that journey includes Amazon,” she says. Amazon now accounts for around 60 per cent of US total beauty and wellness e-commerce sales, according to Front Row. “We see it as an opportunity to thoughtfully bring our science, education and rigour into a space where people are actively seeking to make informed decisions about their health.”
The proof is in the dialogue
For most industries, research is an essential element in the consumer purchasing journey, with price comparisons and dupe-hunting becoming commonplace. According to Front Row, 98 per cent of consumers read reviews ahead of making a purchase. “In wellness specifically, reading reviews is more significant because trust is paramount — consumers need multiple touchpoints to validate product efficacy and safety before purchasing,” Skinner says. “Unlike in fashion or tech, wellness products directly impact health outcomes, making the validation phase even more critical.”
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Medical professionals are also tapping into the loop. Nutritionist and doctor-led content on platforms such as TikTok is propelling social media as a means for ‘trusted’ validation. Surgeon-turned-influencer Dr Karan Rajan regularly promotes (or shuns) health-related products, while author and life coach Roxie Nafousi often shares her curated collection of wellness and beauty products in partnership with retailer Look Fantastic. The power of these platforms shouldn’t be underestimated. TikTok engagement has a stronger correlation with Amazon search than Google, per Front Row, highlighting how cultural conversations drive immediate commerce.
For brands, the validation stage is often the hardest. It’s the point at which consumers are most likely swayed by competitor brands, as they compare multiple products. But it also acts as an opportunity for those looking to build their credibility and equity — given they have the solid support to do so. Seed Health has used its multiple points of sale to drive growth through credibility. Its Amazon Storefront is not only a conversion hub, but a way to educate shoppers on the ingredients and science behind its formulas. This education-led commerce has paid off for Seed Health: on Amazon, first-time purchases have increased 147 per cent since joining the platform last year.
Leaning into loyalty
The final piece of the purchase puzzle gives brands the opportunity to build long-lasting loyalty. Post-purchase, brands are able to access consumer data to improve loyalty through precision targeting and community-building, particularly via social media. “Community-building through owned channels and social platforms, combined with personalised experiences based on individual wellness journeys and outcomes, helps sustain long-term customer relationships,” says Front Row’s Skinner.
With over 400,000 followers on Instagram, Seed Health is using the platform to educate its consumers on the importance of gut health. In bypassing continuous promotion, the brand ensures its followers have the nutritional knowledge necessary to accompany their product offerings, while positioning Seed Health as an authoritative voice in the space, says Skinner.
As a dominant channel for first-time and repeat purchases, those selling on Amazon should also carefully curate their storefronts to tap into the marketplace’s loyalty tactics. “For maintaining loyalty, subscription and replenishment programmes create ongoing touchpoints,” says Skinner. These subscriptions and repurchase programmes continue to sustain the path-to-purchase loop, turning first-time buyers into long-term brand advocates.
For brands, third-party sales often raise concerns around the cannibalisation of direct conversions. In the case of Seed Health, however, the customers acquired through Amazon were profitable from almost the get-go. Between February and April 2024, the brand saw a twofold return on customer acquisition costs, which rose to threefold in the first nine months of selling on the platform. By utilising subscribe and save options, Amazon acquisition further ties into Seed Health’s lifetime value strategy.
As the wellness consumer increasingly adopts a more fluid, consumer-led path to purchase — rather than being simply “moved down” a linear funnel — brands must also embrace the new. In switching to more dynamic commerce models, where conversation and loyalty are king, wellness players can succeed in a saturated space.
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