Brands are waking up to the power of the menopausal pound – and business is booming. But as experts warn women could be wasting their money at best and risking their health at worst, who’s really profiting?
There was a time not too long ago when the menopause section of the pharmacy was a dusty shelf stacked with Tena pads. But step into your local branch today and you’ll soon realise this life stage has had a serious glow-up. From supplements and serums to face mists and magnesium, the menopausal woman is the wellness industry ’s new darling – and the high street is the tip of the iceberg.
A cursory google reveals everything from menopausal meal plans to monthly subscription boxes. If an oestrogen deficit is damaging your dermis, a luxury lotion is just the balm. Things a bit dryer down there? There’s a meno-lube for that. Among the more ‘out there’ offerings WH came across was a pair of knickers designed to turn down the volume on menopausal flatulence. Read: they filter your farts. Throw in the alternative therapies, exercise classes, spa treatments and retreats and the subtext is clear: menopause is a problem that you can throw money at.
That brands are falling over themselves for a portion of the menopausal pound is hardly surprising following a year in which the life stage went from hushed up to headline news. If Davina McCall started the conversation with her documentary Sex, Myths And The Menopause, MP Carolyn Harris picked up the mantel with her campaign to outlaw prescription charges for hormone replacement therapy (HRT). So successful have attempts to raise awareness of the plight of the menopausal woman been that the NHS has struggled to keep pace; widespread shortages of HRT led the government to introduce a menopause ‘task force’ to help pharmacies meet demand for the drug that’s on more women’s radars then ever before.
Fast-forward to today and menopause is becoming not just the hottest topic in wellness, but the most lucrative. The global menopause market is expected to reach $21.6bn (£17.79bn) by 2026, and a report by the Female Founders Fund suggests it represents a $600bn (£494bn) opportunity for companies (an opportunity that remains largely untapped). But brands and investors are waking up to its potential. The Female Founders Fund reports that menopause start-ups globally have raised more than $250m (£205m) in investment since the start of 2009. Among the recipients are the app-based telemedicine platform Peppy, the Womaness range of moisturisers and Thermaband’s temperature-regulating smart wearable device.
Game-changing innovations that help women manage a smorgasbord of symptoms? Perhaps. Yet, female health experts are already warning that with potential profits of this magnitude com
