CHP Magazines CHP Magazines Spring 2019 #16 | Page 45

I
n
n
continue with the introduction of new
classes and therapies.
What trends do you predict over the
next 12 months?
We expect to see the rise of
functional medicine. People are looking
for an alternative to conventional
medicine and being prescribed drugs.
They want to be able to heal their
chronic conditions, like digestive
issues and hormonal imbalance, by
taking care of themselves as a whole
unit, rather than a particular dis-ease.
This, of course, will affect the uptake
of functional foods, particularly those
which have been found to support gut
health. We also expect the plant-based,
chemical free trend to continue over the
next 12 months.
What made you decide to introduce
the natural health foods and wellness
products into your business?
When we first introduced natural
health foods and wellness products, we
were the only store in the area selling
them. Our owner and manager, Caroline,
had transitioned to this way of living
and having experienced all its benefits,
wanted to make it more available to
others in the community. She had
been working in childcare and wanted
to purchase supplements and other
products to support the immunity of sick
children in a natural, non-harmful way.
At that time, the supermarkets were
not stocking supplements or very much
at all related to health care and the
chemists only had synthetic, chemical
products.
i
s
f
mortar businesses within the health
sector need to offer something that
cannot be sacrificed for the convenience
of buying online. Despite being more
connected than ever before, many
people are looking for genuine human
interaction. It’s for this reason that we
have focused more on the services
we provide. Our customers are always
greeted by a friendly face and a
professional who cares about helping
them. We also provide a space for
people to connect with others, whether
it is to share a meal or to exercise their
body and mind. We anticipate that
others within the sector will adapt in a
similar way.
What changes would you like to see
in the next couple of years?
We’d like to see a drop in the prices
of “health” products to make adopting a
healthy lifestyle more accessible. Whilst
people have a general understanding
that natural products are better for you,
unfortunately people’s spending choices
are motivated by price, often opting for
the cheaper, less healthy, option. We
sell them as affordably as we can, but
unfortunately as a small business we’re
unable to get the same discounts as
supermarkets and other large stores
that buy in bulk.
What excites you about working at
Health Healing & Harmony?
a
i
l
Located within a small town, we
really get to know our customers and
develop strong relationships with
them. We take the time to get to know
our customers, their wants and needs
and aim to make them feel included in
our healthy community. We feel that
people’s interest in alternative health
and wellness will continue to increase
and we’re excited about the potential for
growth at our centre.
What’s
the best thing
about your
job?
The best
thing about
working at
Health Healing
& Harmony
is being able
to provide
our healthy
community
with products
and services
that will
support and
develop their
physical,
mental and
spiritual
health.
Where do you see the natural health
sector heading in the next couple of
years?
With the continued rise of
eCommerce, we expect to see people
getting their health care products online
more and more. This coupled with the
current Information Age, where generic
health information is easily obtained
from the internet, means that brick and
Spring 2019 45