The future of bricks and mortar retail may lie in the hands of the fast-growing health and wellness sector, which one analyst says is "propping up" others stores.
The health and wellness sector, made up of but not limited to gyms, health food stores, supplement and vitamin stores and sports apparel stores, has seen between 10 and 20 per cent growth year-on-year in three years, and because of that, it was propping up other retail businesses, said retail analyst Chris Wilkinson.
"Malls, towns and cities are really focused on developing more representation within the health and wellness category because of its strong commercial performance," Wilkinson said.
"It has certainly been growing over the last four to five years but it is accelerating now, and I think its accelerating because there's greater awareness by consumers of the need to look after themselves."
The ageing population was also heightening the rise of the health and wellness category, he said.
"We've got greater empowerment by consumers, they are now going online to find out about issues or if there are solutions, and that's actually driving people into stores to find that last mile of advice."
Wilkinson said online self-diagnosis was also driving a new-found relevance for pharmacies.
According to US statistics, 70 per cent of people with health conditions go online before and after they visit a doctor.
"What we're seeing now is people are now taking a more proactive role around their health, but they're also visiting the likes of specialist pharmacies and stores."
Specialist and niche stores were also propping up the trading of other businesses located in the nearby area, he said.
"One of the reasons these businesses are great for shopping malls and smaller shopping towns is the fact that they drive regular visitation," Wilkinson said.
"Food courts and food destinations have been driving visitation in malls but we're now starting to see the benefits of the likes of these health destinations, which are also driving really strong and confident visitation."
Kiwi Property retail leasing manager Aubrey Cheng said the NZX-listed company, which owns Sylvia Park shopping mall, identified the opportunities in the health and wellness category years ago.
"Traditionally, health and wellness offers in a shopping centre were the pharmacy and health food shop. Now, the offering is incredibly wide and deep across categories, from personal services offerings, to medical cosmetic clinics, beauty offerings, exercise and lifestyle-related retailers, apparel, general merchandise and food and beverage," Cheng said.
"We are entirely responding to changes in customer demands and to tastes that we are seeing in consumer society. Health and wellness is a huge driver in retail consumption and we think this is just the beginning."
Hamish French, director of specialist active wear trainer store Shoe Clinic, said the franchise company had seen steady growth over the past 10 years.
"The industry started getting very strong around 2008, 2009, interestingly when the recession almost hit, but we found, for whatever reason, people continued to focus on being fit and healthy and ever since then business and growth has been very steady," French said.
The Shoe Clinic plans to open between four and six more stores in the next few years. Photo / 123RF
Shoe Clinic was optimistic about the future of its business, he said.
"People are getting more and more aware of their health, and more active, and that's where we feel a more specialised type service like we offer is ... something we're very confident about going forward," French said.
"We find that our business gives people piece of mind in the perspective that they come to us to get a complete diagnosed package as opposed to going into a store, selecting a pair of shoes and hoping they'll be alright."
Shoe Clinic has a total of 18 stores nationwide with five in Auckland and has plans to open between four and six more over the next few years.
It opened a Taupo store in December.
Wilkinson said it had become common for businesses to move into or embrace the health and wellness category, as was the case with Dunedin-based pharmacy group Antidote expanding into vegan cafes.
"[Businesses are] starting to see these evolutions of their market and are responding to them quite strategically," he said.
