LSN : News : Stat: UK gym market hits record as Gen Z fuel sign-ups

O Boticário launches sensual guide for female pleasure

Her Touch by O Boticário, Brazil

Brazil – Brazilian cosmetics brand O Boticário has launched Her Touch, a digital book that aims to dismantle taboos around female pleasure by reframing the skin as an erogenous zone. Created with agency AlmapBBDO and published by Editora Labrador, the guide is free to download for adults on Amazon Brazil and the company’s social platforms.

Written by clinical sexologist Mari Williams and illustrated by three Brazilian artists, Her Touch invites women to explore their bodies with a poetic tone. It follows the success of Her Code, the brand’s 2023 fragrance which encouraged open conversations around female desire in Latin America.

‘We perceived women’s desire to get a better grasp of the topic and saw room for us to contribute,’ said Marcela De Masi, executive director of branding and communications at Boticário Group.

The book has recently topped Amazon Brazil’s downloads. Research to support the launch, by Think EVA and Boticário, revealed that 79% of women have faked orgasms, underscoring the need for this initiative in fostering intimacy, self-knowledge and self-love.

Explore our Sexuwellness Women’s Market report to understand the new wave of technology, education and retail products fuelling a pleasure revolution for women.

Strategic opportunity

Consider developing resources (eg guides, podcasts, workshops) that position your brand as an educator rather than just a seller

Trendmood translates online clout into physical retail

US – Instagram beauty scoop account @trendmood1 is making its first foray into physical retail with a Los Angeles pop-up set to open this summer. Founded in 2012 by make-up artist Sophie Shab, the account has built a reputation for breaking news of upcoming beauty launches, often ahead of official announcements, and has become a go-to for brands seeking buzz.

Shab’s following of nearly two million is deeply engaged and her product drops via the Trendmood Box regularly sell out, according to The Business of Fashion. Now, she’s extending the experience offline, with Trendmood’s Melrose Avenue space offering fans the chance to shop her edits in person and attend activations with featured brands.

‘Trendmood is so relevant to that deeply engaged beauty consumer,’ said Michelle Shigemasa, global general manager for Smashbox. That relevance is now evolving into retail presence, marking a shift from Instagram scrolls to in-store shelves.

In our The New Creatorverse microtrend report, we analysed how similar content creators are turning to bricks and mortar as an avenue for fan connection and long-term relevance as retailers, not just creators.

The Cult of Beauty at the Wellcome Collection. Photography by Benjamin Gilbert, UK

Strategic opportunity

Consider scouting and partnering with influential creators in your sector who have loyal followings. Could you co-develop limited in-store drops, curated edits or even branded pop-ups? This goes beyond influencer marketing – it’s co-retail

Stat: UK gym market hits record as Gen Z fuel sign-ups

On, Switzerland

UK – The UK gym market reached a record valuation of £5.7bn ($7.6bn, €6.6bn) in 2024, up 8.8% year on year, according to UKactive’s latest report. One in six Britons aged 16+ (11.5m people) are now gym members. With nearly 600m club visits annually, the UK ranks among Europe’s top-performing fitness sectors.

Gen Z are driving this growth and they are mainly joining to improve their overall confidence.

Among all respondents, 76% cited mental wellbeing as a key reason for belonging to a gym. ‘This report shows our sector contributing significantly to economic growth, population health and social impact,’ said UKactive’s CEO Huw Edwards.

Budget gyms (PureGym, The Gym Group) and premium brands (Third Space, David Lloyd) reported gains, while investor activity surged with seven major merger and acquisitions, the most since 2020.

As group classes, social spaces and hybrid training models expand, the gym is evolving from a workout space into a lifestyle hub – offering new opportunities for brand engagement.

Read more about the consumer behaviour driving the global fitness boom in our Longevity Lifestyles macrotrend report.

Strategic opportunity

With Gen Z citing ‘overall confidence’ as their primary motivator for working out, consider how to develop fitness offerings that centre mental wellbeing, from mindfulness-led workouts to mood-tracking integrations in apps or wearables