• "Sunny San Diego is quickly solidifying as one of the U.S. epicenters for health and wellness brands," Carter Russ, CEO of retail sales tracking firm CenterCheck, told Axios.
• "This is despite both a local and nationwide trend of tightening consumer spending," he said. "San Diego County's health and wellness sector is truly bucking the trend."

By the numbers: The number of visits to beauty and spa businesses has been steadily increasing in the region since 2021, according to the foot traffic analytics business Placer.ai.

• Between 2021 and 2023, visits increased on average 18% from the prior year, according to a report from the company prepared for Axios.
• In the last two years, they leveled off some, but still increased 2% from the year before.

The boost in visits is mostly because people care more about health and wellness, R.J. Hottovy, head of analytical research at Placer.ai, told Axios.

• "Mall owners and operators value these tenants because they reliably drive repeat visits," he said.

Follow the money: Economic activity in the health and wellness sector also increased steadily, according to CenterCheck.

• It was up almost 19% over the last three years in San Diego County, a CenterCheck report prepared for Axios found.
• That's in stark contrast to the national average, which declined by 3.9%.

The big picture: Beyond San Diego, rest, longevity and fitness are becoming the new status symbols. And Americans are spending big on them, bringing the wellness economy into its next phase, Axios' Natalie Daher writes.

• The gym is the new social spot, people are seeking out treatments for menopause, and full-body MRIs and lab testing have gone mainstream.

Curious but unsure where to start? There's a bunch of new wellness businesses with unique offerings, from head spas to contrast therapy, popping up all over San Diego.

🥶 Breathe Degrees opened a new location in Liberty Station with guided breathwork and boasts the world's largest cold plunge.

💪 Hive Training Club focuses on strength training and recovery with an infrared sauna, cold plunge, Hyperice compression and percussion therapy.

♨️ The Pilates Collective has a new wellness suite with red light pilates and yoga, infrared saunas, cold plunges and Pulsed Electromagnetic Field Mat therapy.

✨ Seoul Glow Lab, San Diego's new Korean beauty concept store, has skin analysis machines and sound healing facials.

🙏 Find Your Power Wellness in El Cajon uses holistic, trauma-informed healing practices with yoga, Reiki and sound bath classes.

⚕️ J'adore Wellness clinic in Oceanside offers hormone and peptide therapy with in-house bloodwork.

💥 Healios Laser Therapy for muscle repair and injury recovery has several locations around North County and in La Jolla.

🌱 Check out Locally Well San Diego for a directory of wellness businesses, new workout studios, treatment reviews and event guides.