Wales' wellness economy enjoying healthy growth

DATA from the Global Wellness Institute shows Cardiff now ranks 4th in the UK for growth in wellness-sector businesses since 2022, with 73 new ventures launched equivalent to 16 wellness businesses per 100,000 people, behind only Manchester, London and Glasgow.

- Jess Phillips-Harris, senior manager for Wales at the British Business Bank explores the founders, funding and forces shaping the country's fast-growing wellness economy

Kelly Powling founder of OREN Wellness in Cardiff

(GARETH EVERETT/HUW EVANS AGENCY)

The report, conducted for gym equipment brand Mirafit, highlights a shift in consumer priorities post-pandemic, from purely aesthetic fitness goals to a more holistic focus on health, mental wellbeing, preventative care, and community.

This trend is being driven by early-stage founders turning wellness concepts into commercially viable businesses, creating a new generation of spaces that blend movement, recovery, social connection, and lifestyle - often with picture-perfect aesthetics to match.

What's striking about the latest wave of openings in Cardiff is how far they depart from the traditional gym model.

Instead of focusing solely on large, equipment-heavy workout floors, the city is experiencing a surge in boutique, design-led studios which prioritise holistic wellbeing.

These hybrid spaces offer far more than exercise alone, combining reformer Pilates, yoga and barre, with a wide range of recovery and wellness experiences, from Finnish, infrared and steam saunas to ice baths, cold plunges and pressotherapy.

Many also incorporate dedicated areas for meditation and mindfulness, alternative therapies, and social spaces such as organic cafés, matcha bars and juice counters.

Examples include The Studio, which opened in early 2023.