LOHAS - Lifestyles of Health and Sustainability

What is LOHAS? According to LOHAS.COM: “LOHAS is an acronym for ‘Lifestyles of Health and Sustainability,’ a market segment focused on health and fitness, the environment, personal development, sustainable living, and social justice.”

In the wake of realizing the inconvenient truth about ecological imbalance and the personal lifestyle imbalance, a whole new class of consumers has arisen. They are “LOHAS consumers, sometimes referred to as Lohasians, ... interested in products covering a range of market sectors and sub-sectors, including: Green building supplies, socially responsible investing and ‘green stocks’, alternative healthcare, organic clothing and food, personal development media, yoga and other fitness products, eco-tourism and more.”

This is no longer a “wave” or a fad, but a lifestyle change that is leading to sub-trends of responsible consumption, awareness of eco-friendly production, and most importantly, *rejection* of “irresponsible” and unsustainable practices.

While the Lohasians who are, according to LOHAS.COM, a “$228.9 billion U.S. marketplace for goods and services,” embracing more healthy practices, they are also rejecting environment-unfriendly choices. It is suggested that the recent historical Ford loss of US$12.7 billion (Jan 2007) is partially due to the unpopularity of gas-guzzling SUVs (sports utility vehicles). Toyota’s eco-friendly marketing, on the other hand, is a winning pitch.

Watch out for the market that goes by other names such as green consumerism. It’s here to stay.