This is the first attempt in India to study the wellness sector whose turnover was estimated at Rs.1,00,000 million (approximately $2.5 billion US) by the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII). Toget insights to customer’s needs and wants, wellness clients are segmented based on their lifestyleand behavior.
The intention of any service provider would be to retain clients and to improve loyalty towards the wellness service centers. This study examines the factors evolving from lifestyle, behavior andinspects its effect on loyalty towards wellness services.
Lifestyle is understood through sub dimensions of Activities, Interests and Opinions chosen from focused group interview. Behavior is studied in terms of the ‘Attitude towards Wellness Services’, ‘Expected Benefits from the Wellness Services’ and ‘User Occasion’.
The study is based on the empirical data collected from 310 clients from five wellness centers in Bangalore, India. Conceptual model for Activity, Interest and Opinion vis-a-vis loyalty, Lifestyle dimensions and its effects on Loyalty and Behavior factors’ effects on Loyalty were tested. Analysis revealed that three of the four ‘Activity’ factors, three of the four ‘Interest’ factors and two of the four ‘Opinion’ factors, five of the ten ‘lifestyle’ factors and five of the seven ‘behavior’ factors had positive effect on Loyalty.
Four lifestyle segments evolved from this study and they are: 1. Work enthusiasts and family oriented 2. Commoners, 3. Net-workers and 4. Hard core strivers. The four behavior segments are 1. Heredity Ailment Prevention and Change in Current Lifestyle Seekers, 2. Occupational Ailment Prevention Seekers, 3. Skeptics & Anti-Ageing Prevention Seekers and 4. Stress Release Seekers.
Branded service packages were evolved for each of these lifestyle and behavior segments with professional inputs which is a pioneering effort in the emerging Indian wellness sector.