LOHAS

LOHAS is an acronym for Lifestyles of Health and Sustainability. It is a $227 billion market segment in the United States alone but worldwide in its extent. LOHAS consumers are those who are passionate about the environment, sustainability, social issues, and health. The marketplace includes goods and services such as:

• Organic and natural food
• Organic and natural personal care products
• Hybrid and electric cars
• Green and sustainable building
• Energy efficient electronics/applicances
• Socially responsible investing
• Natural household products (paper goods and cleaning products)
• Natural and preventive medicine (Naturopathic, Chinese medicine, etc.)

These consumers are variously referred to as cultural creatives, solution seekers, conscious consumers or LOHAS Consumers, and represent a sizable group in the United States: 17% of adults, or 36 million consumers.

In other countries these consumers are described, too, because it is suited well to the commercial interests of the organic food industry and tourism industry of the consumer culture. Although there is, for example, a tendency from fast food to slow food and an increase of ecologically produced food, it is doubtful whether this post-modern trend can be described with the concept of sustainability correctly.

Quick Facts

• The two fastest growing countries in terms of LOHAS are Japan and Taiwan.
• LOHAS consumers go by many names including: Lohasians, conscious consumers, and cultural creatives
• The LOHAS industry has an annual event called The LOHAS Forum, which holds seminars and discussions on the future of conscious consumerism.
• Other industries have cropped up around LOHAS goods and services, such as B2B, environmentally responsible stocks / funds, and advertising.
• The term LOHAS was first coined by Gaiam when they created the non-profit LOHAS Journal and Forum in 1999.

The opposite of the LOHAS is the LOVOS which represents the "Lifestyle of Voluntary Simplicity". It is not post-modern oriented but consistently post-materialistical and contrasts with consumerism. From the point of view of marketing, the LOVOS is a marginal phenomenon which is often neglected; but for the change of the society the LOVOS comprises a futurable potential.

References

• Understanding the LOHAS Consumer, The Natural Marketing Institute , (2005).
• Lohas.com - The LOHAS Journal and LOHAS Forum

External links

• A discussion list for LOHAS companies
• Home of The LOHAS Journal and Annual Conference
• The Cultural Creatives
• National Marketing Institute Marketing Research and Consulting firm with further information on the LOHAS market (some of it for sale)
• LOHAS Markets Australian information on the LOHAS market
• nuovon information and links to various Australian LOHAS associations, magazines and websites