Wellness is moving into more places, more meals, and more daily routines.
Gyms and wellness brands are taking over retail
For the first time, service-based tenants accounted for over 50% of total US retail square footage leased last year, per CoStar data, with fitness and wellness driving growth.
- Gyms alone made up ~30% of service leases, up from about 20% in 2016.
- As consumer spending shifts, boutique studios, IV lounges, medspas, and bathhouses are surging.
- In Manhattan’s Flatiron and NoMad neighborhoods, fitness and wellness brands have leased roughly 100,000 square feet over the past two years.
Retail is no longer just for buying things; it’s where consumers go to work out, recover, and feel better.
Energy drinks are an everyday choice
Celsius CEO John Fieldly says the energy category is going mainstream, and its business is benefiting.
- The company generated $2.5B in revenue in 2025, up from just $75M seven years ago.
- With Celsius, Alani Nu, and Rockstar under one roof, the company now controls nearly one-fifth of the $23B energy drink market.
Fieldly says the category is now expanding across more moments in the day, as consumers use energy drinks as a replacement for coffee, sports drinks, and even alcohol.
More than a one-off boost, energy drinks are becoming the new bottled water for wellness consumers.
Sweetgreen wants to be the Spotify of food
According to The Information, Sweetgreen is trying to win over wellness-focused consumers.
- The company has been pushing higher-protein items and adding macronutrient counts.
- It also partnered with Function Health on nutrient-focused meals designed around biomarkers and metabolic health.
Next, CEO Jonathan Neman wants Sweetgreen’s app to become “Spotify for food” — eventually recommending personalized meals based on taste preferences, allergies, and health data.
But first, as demand softens and same-store sales fall, Sweetgreen will have to prove it can expand its core business beyond a relatively affluent niche.
