The holiday season can be a helpful litmus test for where the economy is headed in the year ahead. In the 2025 season, health and wellness were defining features at the start of the year, and all signs point toward their remaining in the spotlight heading into 2026.
The 2025 Black Friday shopping window set multiple records this year. In terms of straight-up cash spent, e-commerce once again set a record, with shoppers dishing out $11.8 billion in a single 24-hour period. Between Black Friday and Cyber Monday, shopping activity on the online retail platform Shopify jumped by 27% year-over-year. The number of people shopping overall also set a new record at 202.9 million over the five-day holiday weekend. This passed the 2024 total by nearly 6 million and shattered the previous record of 200.4 million (in 2023).
Amidst all of the positive signs, one area stood out more than most. The health and beauty e-commerce category saw dramatic annual growth of 14% with online traffic spiking by 26%.
Signs of consumer trust and investment in the health and wellness sector are strong. If you want to continue to ride the momentum in 2026, you want to strategize now. Here’s how to get started.
Align Marketing on Mission
Health and wellness marketing must be backed by meaning. Things like education and transparency build trust. Sustainability signals responsibility and a willingness to think beyond your bottom line. Innovation shows a willingness to push boundaries to find better solutions.
What is your unique selling point as a business? How can it guide your marketing in 2026? How can you refocus on that central element of your company?
Focus on Function
Despite the upbeat feel surrounding Black Friday and the health and wellness sector, in general, the economic mood in America is muted and confused to end 2025. Consumer sentiment rose slightly in December, but remains at historic lows.
Managing this dichotomy of positive wellness trends in an insecure market requires careful strategy. Make sure to combine every wellness initiative with a clear functional value proposition to give it ongoing consumer value beyond surface-level goals. Stay flexible as you go, as well, to give yourself the ability to pivot and take advantage of each opportunity as markets react and trends evolve.
Build Partnerships
Finally, don’t go into 2026 alone. If you’re a health and wellness brand fighting for market share and space on retailer shelves, you want to work with a partner that knows how to navigate the North American health and wellness industry.At TruLife Distribution, our team has accumulated decades of collective experience helping ambitious enterprises increase brand awareness and generate revenue in the U.S. wellness sector. It doesn’t matter if you have a new nutraceutical formula, a fresh take on bottled water, or anything in between. If you’re selling in the U.S. in 2026, our team can help you build a marketing and distribution strategy that helps you not just survive but thrive in the year ahead.