As health and wellness claims spread across supermarket shelves, new McKinsey research suggests consumers are becoming more demanding about what they buy. In 2026, credibility is as important as price.
The grocery industry has never been all that shy about making health claims. We’ve seen everything from low-fat and low-carb to organic, natural, high-protein and gut-friendly. Every few years, another nutritional trend comes along, and manufacturers respond with new products, reformulations and, always, plenty of marketing.
The difference nowadays is consumers want compelling evidence that those products actually work. That’s one of the more interesting findings in McKinsey & Company’s November 2026 report, Future of Wellness 2027: Inside the $2.7 Trillion Takeover.
The global consulting firm estimates that the U.S. wellness market now exceeds $700 billion – and it’s growing approximately 5% to 10% annually.
But their research goes further, revealing just what consumers expect in return for their money.
In the McKinsey survey, price and effectiveness tied as the most frequently cited factors influencing wellness purchases, each selected by 44% of U.S. respondents. Quality followed at 41%. Consumers haven’t stopped worrying about price but they’re becoming more demanding about the value and results they receive for what they’re spending.
Wellness Claims Are Everywhere
According to McKinsey, 33% of new U.S. CPG product launches through September 2026 carried a wellness-related claim, compared with 24% in 2021.
That’s a massive increase in just five years, and it’s showing up all over the supermarket.
Protein is the poster boy for this trend. Unless you’ve been stranded on a mountaintop for five years, you’re well aware that it’s appearing in products that haven’t historically been marketed as significant protein sources. Fiber is another big player. Prebiotics and probiotics have moved beyond the yogurt case into everything from sodas to cereals. Which brings us to functional beverages that promise everything from improved hydration to better cognitive performance, while products associated with sleep, stress management and weight control continue to proliferate.
Some of these address legitimate nutritional needs, but others may claim benefits that are less clearly established, to put it politely – particularly when the marketing language gets ahead of the supporting science.
For consumers, distinguishing between the two, separating wheat from chaff, can be a tall order. More on that in a moment.
There’s another finding that should get CPG execs’ attention. Among brands growing more than 20% annually, McKinsey found that more than half – 53% – had health and wellness at the center of their apparent value proposition. That’s more than twice the share among slower-growing brands.
This all goes to show why manufacturers are investing so aggressively in the category. But there’s real downside risk: As more companies compete for health-conscious shoppers, claims that once differentiated products can quickly become commonplace.
Simply slapping high protein, supports immunity or gut friendly on a package isn’t going to cut it much longer. Manufacturers need to credibly demonstrate why their products deserve a place in consumers’ shopping baskets.
Supermarkets and Gatekeepers
For grocery retailers, this creates an opportunity beyond expanding their wellness assortments.
Supermarkets are a natural intermediary between manufacturers and consumers. Staff buyers evaluate products, negotiate prices and determine what belongs on the shelf, and shoppers generally expect products offered by reputable retailers to meet applicable standards – even if those retailers don’t endorse every marketing claim.
As wellness becomes more complicated, that relationship is primed to become more valuable.
Retailers can distinguish themselves by developing clearer merchandising standards, scrutinizing product claims in the back office and making it easier for shoppers out front to understand and believe in just what it is they’re purchasing.
That doesn’t mean supermarket buyers need to become medical researchers… but it does mean manufacturers should provide appropriate substantiation, particularly when products make specific functional or health-related claims.
Private label will play an important role, too. Retailers that develop credible, wellness-oriented store brands can compete on more than price. Transparent formulations, sensible, grounded product claims and consistent quality could help build consumer confidence while providing alternatives to pricey national brands.
AI Adds Another Layer of Complexity
McKinsey found that more than half of surveyed consumers use artificial intelligence for some aspect of health and wellness, including everything from product recommendations, recipe suggestions and interpreting information.
But AI hasn’t displaced human judgment yet. When asked what influences purchases of new wellness products, 35% of U.S. consumers cited friends and family, while 30% cited healthcare practitioners.
On the other hand, just 8% cited AI chatbots. That might be because 40% of U.S. consumers expressed concern that AI-generated health advice could be inaccurate.
The picture could be summed up this way: Consumers are willing to use technology to research products, but they’re clearly not ready to accept its recommendations without verification. And that makes accurate product information, transparent labeling and credible supporting evidence more and more important.
Credibility Is a Competitive Advantage
McKinsey found that roughly 40% of consumers globally believe existing wellness offerings fall short in areas including longevity, mental health and mobility. There’s still substantial unmet demand, even after years of near-relentless product innovation. Meeting that demand is more about investing in effective formulations, research and transparent communication than relying exclusively on the latest nutritional buzzword.
Supermarkets, for their part, should be treating wellness as a merchandising discipline that requires the same attention to product quality, consumer value and assortment credibility as any other major category. The better to reassure shoppers that the products they’re buying will deliver what the package promises.