Health Becomes a Criterion for Purchase, AI Changes Consumer Decisions

Health and wellness increasingly influence everyday consumer decisions across Central and Eastern Europe. According to PwC’s research Voice of the Consumer, SIE edition for 2026, as many as 96 percent of consumers have some health goal. Technology is becoming an increasingly important part of this process: 79 percent of consumers use health apps or wearable devices, while 47 percent turn to artificial intelligence when they first encounter a health issue.

The research, based on responses from consumers in Hungary, Poland, Romania, and Ukraine, explores this significant shift in health approach. Instead of relying solely on a traditional healthcare system focused on hospital care, consumers are increasingly making health-related decisions through everyday choices related to diet, sleep, physical activity, stress management, and technology use.

– The old boundaries that viewed health as a separate area are increasingly being erased. Consumers seek health solutions in retail, the food industry, technology, and other sectors. Health has become a prism through which consumers in Central and Eastern Europe view their needs and expectations, seeking results, not just products. For companies, this represents an opportunity to rethink how they communicate with consumers and create value, becoming part of a broader ecosystem that helps people manage their own health and well-being, said Mieczysław Gonta, partner and leader of the consumer goods and retail sector at PwC in Central and Eastern Europe and Poland.

– The most important change is not just that consumers use technology to manage their health. Technology is becoming a new intermediary between consumers and brands: it influences what information they see, which products they consider, and whom they trust. For retailers and consumer goods manufacturers, this means that health and wellness are no longer a separate category, but a criterion by which consumers evaluate an increasing portion of everyday offerings. The question is not who will offer the most technology, but who will turn it into a more relevant choice for the consumer while maintaining their trust. I see this as an opportunity for new sources of growth, said Dragan Mrkajić, head of the Digital, Retail & Consumer consulting team at PwC in Southeast Europe.

Consumers Want a Healthier Lifestyle on Their Own Terms

A longer and healthier life (56 percent), stress reduction (47 percent), and improved sleep quality (37 percent) are among the main goals of consumers when it comes to health and wellness. As many as 96 percent of consumers cite barriers to achieving their health goals, with stress, lack of time, motivation difficulties, and limited financial resources among the biggest challenges.

As a result, purchasing decisions are largely influenced by accessibility and practicality. Price (72 percent), value for money (69 percent), ease of use (67 percent), and clear information (66 percent) are the leading factors affecting the purchase of wellness-related products and services.

Over the next 12 months, many consumers expect to increase their intake of fresh fruits and vegetables (55 percent) and vitamins, minerals, and dietary supplements (36 percent), while simultaneously planning to reduce their consumption of processed foods and foods high in sugar (48 percent), alcoholic beverages (36 percent), and tobacco and vaping products (24 percent).

As many as 85 percent of consumers are interested in at least one product or service from the food, dietary supplements, and personal care category. This is also the only category in which Central and Eastern Europe exceeds the global average (85 percent compared to 82 percent), with interest in this category being 24 percentage points higher than interest in the next most popular category, namely health insights and diagnostics.

Technology Changes the Way Consumers Manage Health

Artificial intelligence, wearable devices, and health apps play an increasingly important role in how consumers track and manage their health and well-being. As they take on a more active role in managing their own health, technology provides them with greater control and better insights into their health status.

As many as 79 percent of consumers use health apps or wearable devices for at least one health and wellness-related activity. They most commonly track sleep quality (22 percent), monitor medication or supplement intake (22 percent), track physical activity (21 percent), and dietary habits (18 percent).

Nearly half of consumers (47 percent) use artificial intelligence tools to find information when they first encounter a health issue or challenge related to their own well-being. Additionally, 60 percent of consumers use artificial intelligence tools before consulting a healthcare professional or other sources of information.

Although artificial intelligence represents an important source of information, and apps and wearable devices provide useful insights, trust remains a crucial but sensitive factor. As many as 58 percent of consumers would be willing to pay more for wearable devices whose data healthcare professionals consider reliable. At the same time, pharmacies enjoy the highest trust when it comes to sharing health data in Central and Eastern Europe: 26 percent of consumers are willing to share medical documentation or biometric data collected through wearable devices and health monitoring systems with pharmacies.