Key Takeaways:
- Health-conscious Gen Z is a 51M-person, wellness-first audience within a $2T global industry.
- They work out where it’s easiest: 62% exercise at home and 41% head outdoors; only 13% use membership gyms and 7% take in-person classes.
- They’re value-seeking planners: 27% call themselves moderate spenders, just 4% are big spenders, and 40%+ use budgeting tools.
- Their 2026 plans skew “experience-first”: 34% beach trips, 22% international sightseeing, 18% lakes, 17% museums/science centers, and 32% local concerts/movies.
- Retail loyalties signal mainstream convenience: Macy’s, eBay, Kohl’s, Trader Joe’s, Costco—plus Zappos, Big Lots, Hilton/Hampton, Panera, and Jersey Mike’s.
- Marketers should position “anywhere fitness,” price-transparent bundles, and travel-context offers; build intent clusters (beach, international, culture, lakes, local events); lean into omnichannel ease, student-friendly pricing, and marketplace presence.
In the Resonate 2026 Predictions Report, there’s an important data point cited for brands that are interested in including wellness as part of their product/service offerings and marketing: It’s a global industry that’s projected to be worth $2T. It’s no longer a niche offering, either. It’s now a mass market.
Everyone is interested in health in every part of their lives, from healthy minds and bodies to healthy finances and sustainable shopping habits. And this includes Gen Z. In this blog, we’ll take a deep dive into the fitness, travel, and retail shopping habits of a massive 51M-person audience.
What is Gen Z Doing for Exercise?
Resonate data shows that for the Healthy Gen Zers don’t want to leave the house to get their workout in: 62% regularly exercise at home. The next most-popular spot? Outdoors. A significant 41% take walks or go for runs outside to break a sweat. Just 13% are working out at gyms that require memberships, and 7% enjoy taking in-person classes.
What this means for marketers: Position your brand around “anywhere fitness” with low-friction, short, equipment-light routines and outdoor-friendly experiences. Build and activate audiences keyed to home exercisers and walkers/runners, personalize site and ads to those contexts (small-space imagery vs. outdoor scenes), and lean into UGC and creator content that reflects real apartments, dorms, and neighborhood walks. Offer quick-start plans, lightweight gear bundles, and walk/run streak rewards, then measure ROAS/CPA and conversion by context (home vs. outdoor) to optimize creative, offers, and channels.
What Financial Wellness Habits Do Healthy Gen Zers Have?
27% of this audience would call themselves moderate spenders, meaning they are comfortable spending money on some things. Just 4% rate themselves as big spenders, and 11% feel stretched and spend more than they have in each paycheck. The Healthy Gen Zers are also planners: Over 40% count a budgeting tool among their current financial planning tools.
What this means for marketers: This data signals a value-seeking, plan-ahead cohort. Lead with clear value and price transparency: tiered plans, student/young-adult discounts, small bundles, and flexible month-to-month options over long commitments. Frame offers as smart choices (“maximize results, minimize waste”), spotlight cost-per-use and tangible outcomes, and build in spend-friendly mechanics, such as free trials, pause/skip features, and loyalty credits. Meet their planning behavior with budgeting-tool integrations, reminders, and milestone rewards, and use audiences/creative that acknowledge both the “comfortable on priorities” segment and the “stretched but motivated” segment to lift conversion without eroding margin.
What Kinds of Travel and Activities Does Gen Z Plan to Do in 2026?
In the next 12 months, 22% of Healthy Gen Zers plan to travel internationally to sightsee. Another 17% will head to a museum, planetarium, or science center. 34% will go to the beach, while 18% will take a trip to a lake or other body of fresh water. And 32% will be sticking around close to home, enjoying a crowded activity like a concert or a movie.
What this means for marketers: This mix of plans says “experience-first, budget-aware, and segmentable.” Build four intent clusters and tailor offers: (1) beach-bound should receive marketing for seasonal bundles, sun/skin-care or portable gear, weather-triggered promos, and geo-targeted ads to coastal DMAs; (2) international sightseers, who should be targeted with lightweight, packable products, travel-friendly subscriptions, student discounts, and multilingual content with clear roaming/return policies; museum/planetarium/science-goers, who should receive partner passes, educational tie-ins, and “learn + earn” rewards; and (4) lakes and fresh water, who can be targeted with outdoor/waterside kits and weekender bundles. Don’t ignore the fifth audience, the stay-near-home crowd heading to concerts and movies. They may be interested in festival-ready SKUs, cashless perks, and pickup-at-venue options. Activate with location and calendar signals, creator/event partnerships, and proximity retargeting; measure by trip context (beach vs. culture vs. local crowd) to optimize creative, bundles, and channels.
What Are Gen Z’s Retail Habits?
According to Resonate data, Macy’s is the top retailer for the Healthy Gen Zers. This is followed by eBay, Kohl’s, Trader Joe’s, and Costco. This group shops for apparel at Zappo’s and Big Lots, stays at the Hampton Inn & Suites or a Hilton-brand hotel when they travel, and eats at Panera Bread or Jersey Mike’s when they want to treat themselves.
What this means for marketers: For marketers, these brand affinities paint a clear picture: Healthy Gen Zers skew value-conscious, convenience-first, and mainstream. Lean into omnichannel ease (BOPIS/curbside, fast shipping, easy returns), student-friendly price cues (bundles, loyalty boosts, limited-time codes), and marketplace presence (eBay/Zappos listings, outlet drops). Prioritize co-promos where they already are, including Hilton/Hampton partner perks, Panera/Jersey Mike’s receipt offers, and Macy’s/Kohl’s loyalty tie-ins. And make sure you geo-trigger around malls and Hilton corridors. Creative should signal “smart luxury” at accessible price points, highlight fit/size assurance and swap-friendly policies, and feature travel-ready, packable apparel. Measure lift on loyalty sign-ups, repeat purchase, and cross-partner redemption to prove the play.
Want to activate this audience and include them in your marketing? It’s easy: If you’re new to Resonate, schedule a meeting. Already a customer? Reach out to your CSM. The Healthy Gen Zers are available for immediate activation.
Want to learn more strategies for success in 2026, as well as more audiences you should focus on? Download the Resonate 2026 Predictions Report today.
