Scotts & Co brand targets burgeoning wellness market

Multi-channel retail group Scotts & Co is unveiling a new home shopping brand, specialising in direct-to-consumer health and wellness solutions for the over-60s, marking the company’s first venture dedicated solely to the health market.

Dubbed Viva Vitality, the launch follows Scotts & Co’s recent move into fragrance and fine jewellery retailing, through The Garden Fragrance Company and Aston & Rose.

The venture is aiming to tap into a burgeoning sector. According to management consultancy McKinsey & Company, the global wellness market is now worth over $1.5 trillion (£1.1 trillion) and is set to grow by up to 10% a year.

In a recent consumer survey, McKinsey found that four-fifths (79%) of people regarded wellness as important and 42% considered it a top priority. A majority of consumers said they expected to increase their purchases of wellness products in 2022.

The £50m multi-channel retail group, set up in 1991 by “catalogue king” and chairman Nigel Swabey, has a wide portfolio of online and catalogue brands including Scotts of Stow, Expert Verdict, Gift Discoveries, The Traditional Garden Supply Company, and Bloom.

Viva Vitality aims to set a new standard for DTC marketing of health and wellness products, devices and solutions for the over-60s.

Significantly, Scotts & Co points out that many Viva Vitality items will be exempt from VAT for individuals who suffer from a registered disability or chronic illness.

Later this month, Scotts will mail a 64-page ‘VIP Preview’ edition of the Viva Vitality catalogue direct to 750,000 of its best ‘senior’ customers. The company claims to have the UK’s largest database of ABC1 mail order and online customers aged over 60.

The Viva Vitality catalogue and online business will bring together a specially curated range of products and solutions designed to meet the health and wellbeing needs of a ‘senior’ audience whose focus is increasingly on health and the maintenance of an ‘independent living’ lifestyle.

Hundreds of items in the Viva Vitality collection will be classified by multiple different health conditions. This is designed to make it easier for individuals to quickly access products that are relevant to their needs. Categories include Vision, Hearing, Mobility, Pain Management, Stress & Anxiety, Relaxation, Posture & Support, Footcare, and Sleep. There will also be a dedicated Viva Vitality store for vitamins and other supplements.

In addition, Viva Vitality will offer health monitoring devices and safety aids for the kitchen and bathroom, as well as solutions for exercise, improving memory, and keeping your brain active.

Swabey believes the DTC market for health and wellness has huge growth potential because impactful, personalised direct mail is currently under-exploited by the personal healthcare sector.

He is confident that Scotts’ 30 years of experience in multi-channel and catalogue marketing will enable Viva Vitality to engage directly with millions of over-60s who, according to recent studies, are now spending more on wellness than ever before.

Swabey added: “The pandemic has highlighted the huge importance of both health and wellness and many experts believe self-care is now an increasingly important part of healthcare.

“We have always offered our customers a wide range of products related to health and wellbeing across all of our catalogue brands and websites. However, the launch of Viva Vitality will enable us to take our approach to this market to a new level—with holistic solutions that are grounded in scientific evidence.”

Scotts & Co group brands director Sarah Boyle commented: “Viva Vitality will look at the customer as a whole person and take into account all of the challenges they may face during their day. That’s why our team has scoured the world to find hundreds of high-quality, ingenious wellness products that will make everyday activities less of a struggle and help our customers to get the best from life.”