Wellness Newsletter: Athleisure and Hospitality Brands Tap Tech Trends to Keep Up
Photo Credit: A woman is shown on a run. New “virtual” road races put on by Strava and Lululemon show how tech is enabling the evolution of wellness — and brands are seizing the opportunity. Unsplash / @evstyle
Skift Take
New data show that the global wellness industry is on the rise: It’s now worth $4.2 trillion. Smart companies are innovating to stay ahead, exhibited by the Lululemon and Strava fitness-meets-digital partnership and Equinox’s move into luxury wellness tourism.
As an avid runner, I admit, I was a little skeptical to hear about Ghost Race, a series of 8-kilometer “virtual” road races put on by Strava and Lululemon. What’s the fun in doing a race by yourself, without hearing the huffing and puffing of runners next to you or the applause and words of encouragement from total strangers?
But I may be too cynical –– especially because the series, taking place in 12 cities across the U.S. and Canada, could be marketing gold for the brands, helping them win an even bigger slice of the wellness industry pie. According to new data from the Global Wellness Report, that industry has ballooned in recent years and is now valued at $4.2 trillion.
Runners can find the race map on Strava, and complete the race at any time during a 10-day time frame (no 7 a.m. start time –– a definite perk). Then, runners save their results on Strava, of course, and celebrate with an in-person, post-race party hosted by both brands.
The Strava and Lulule
