Welcome to the inaugural edition of Skift's new weekly newsletter, Skift Wellness.
We're increasingly seeing consumers seek out stress-free living, deeper experiences, and improved nutrition, physical health, and mental balance –– it's safe to say that the shift to wellness isn't just a short-lived trend. The consumer demand for wellness is cropping up in nearly every industry sector out there, from travel and hospitality, to food and beverage, to fashion and beauty, to tech, media, and design.
Hotels are going beyond the guest room to become destinations for rejuvenating, relaxing, and escaping the everyday hustle. The new Apple Watch Series 4 isn't solely for messaging and browsing — it monitors a user's heart rate throughout the day, sending alerts if something's up. And members of the co-working space WeWork can head to the company's gym, Rise by We, for a midday boxing class and green juice, giving a whole new meaning to the phrases "power" and "liquid" lunch.
Still, in this era of the self-care takeover, we feel that it's difficult to find a single destination for news about the brands and companies making moves to capitalize on the emerging sector, not to mention critical and deeper journalism about the space beyond consumer-facing one-off coverage. That's why we're launching Skift Wellness — to cover the business of well-being through the lens of marketing, strategy, and tech with the same journalistic standards that Skift's known for in the travel and dining industries.
Our goal is to dominate the coverage of businesses looking to reach the consumers who keep their physical and mental health top of mind. And because we believe the wellness world will only expand, we expect there will be an endless stream of stories to track.
What We'll Cover
Modern wellness, for us, encompasses everything from technology to athleisure, office life to travel, food, drinks, and nutrition to natural beauty, spas, and home. Thus, our definition is expansive. We won't limit ourselves to traditional health and fitness brands. Instead, we will follow whatever's innovative, whatever's disruptive, and whatever's revolutionizing the industry both in the U.S. and around the globe. We'll cover the smart fashion startup that landed $50 million in funding, the fitness entrepreneurs aspiring to take on Peloton and ClassPass, and the legacy brands looking to get in on the growing market.
What we won't be doing is covering every last product launch, rewriting press releases, or cheerleading the latest charming CEO. Rather, we'll cast a critical eye on the industry, sorting out the substance from the junk (food, included).
What to Expect
We're starting with a weekly newsletter, curating the best news coverage of the wellness space, with plans for originally reported stories of our own, interviews with investors, analysts, and CEOs, and updates on the latest trends. Join us as we dive into the business of wellness, Skift-style.
For feedback or news tips, reach out via email at lb@skift.com or tweet me @lesliebarrie.