Lifestyles of Health and Sustainability (LOHAS) is a demographic defining a particular market segment related to sustainable living, "green" ecological initiatives, and generally composed of a relatively upscale and well-educated population segment. The author Paul H. Ray, who coined the term Cultural Creatives in his book by the same name, explains that "What you're seeing is a demand for products of equal quality that are also virtuous." Included in the cultural creative demographic are consumers of New Age goods and services.
Researchers have reported a range of sizes of the LOHAS market segment. For example, Worldwatch Institute reported that the LOHAS market segment in the year 2006 was estimated at $300 billion, approximately 30% of the U.S. consumer market; and, a study by the Natural Marketing Institute showed that in 2007, 41 million or 13% of the Americans were included within the LOHAS psychographic. In Japan roughly 17 million adults or 12% of the population are LOHAS consumers.
Products and services
The marketplace includes goods and services such as: Organic and locally grown food Organic and natural personal care products Hybrid and electric cars as well as city bicycles Green and sustainable building Sustainable or Ecotourism Energy efficient electronics/appliances Socially responsible investing Natural household products (paper goods and cleaning products) Complementary, alternative and preventive medicine (Naturopathy, Chinese medicine, etc.) Fair trade products Literature in the Mind/Body/Soul, Holistic Health, and New Age genres
See also
Green marketing List of New Age topics Natural Capitalism Simple living – Sometimes called LOVOS, Lifestyles of Voluntary Simplicity Sustainable business Triple bottom line
References
External links LOHASwire.com Canadian news wire agency specializing in LOHAS The Source Asia Hong Kong based Online Magazine focused on LOHAS and Holistic living. LOHAS and The Indigo Dollar: Growing The Spiritual Economy Article critical of LOHAS' mobilization of spirituality.