The health and wellness industry has come a long way. We’re far removed from the days of fad diets and Richard Simmons workout clips. And mostly for the better. According to McKinsey, one of the largest global consultancy firms, 79 percent of people — based on a survey of more than 7,500 people from six countries — think that wellness is important. 42 percent place equal emphasis on it as they do work and their social life.
This shift in priority is triggering an uptick in individuals working out — both at the gym and at-home, despite long-term COVID restrictions that shuttered gyms for most of 2020 and a portion of 2021. Outdoor individual sports participation shot up 84 percent in 2021. Home exercise app use went up 72 percent. Newfound (and regained) interest in physical activity is (hopefully) making us healthier as a whole. It’s also causing serious financial growth in the health and wellness and sports and fitness categories.
Right now, the industry at large is estimated to be worth $1.5 trillion dollars. McKinsey expects it to grow by 5 to 10 percent annually, making all of this as much a financial investment as it is a commitment to cleaner, healthier living. This dichotomy has created superfluous brands aplenty, but also some real innovators — see: at-home gym solutions and mental health and meditation apps.
Others were born from their founders’ realizations about their own wellbeing. At least that’s the case for Museum of Peace & Quiet, a contemporary American label that makes everything from apparel and footwear to yoga mats and meditation seats, to water bottles and coffee mugs, to candles and kids’ clothing.
“Museum of Peace & Quiet was mainly inspired by our road trip in 2018 after spending some time in the Southwest. We had a lot of ideas come out from our travels, it was our way of preserving those moments into something tangible and we sort of just wanted to pay homage to all the places we love and emphasize the importance of slow, thoughtful living,” says Ashley Lennon, who co-founded the brand with her husband, Christion. “The name itself resonates with people in an interesting way and captivates attention.”
