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    Wellness, Care and Active Living: Six Sector Signals for Towel Buyers

    Published by: QINGDAO JAROLL HYGIENE PRODUCTS CO., LTD.

    Editorial cover: Different sectors. Shared procurement questions. Features 61% travel wellness, 65% multi-site bathhouse expectations, and 29.6% of Japan's population aged 65 and over.

    QINGDAO, China — A bathhouse considering a second location, a fitness club adding members, and a care provider serving an older population each face a different purchasing problem. Recent industry reports put numbers behind those differences: 65% of respondents in a thermal-wellness survey expect to operate multiple locations within three years; surveyed fitness operators reported 10.7% median revenue growth in 2025; and people aged 65 and over account for 29.6% of Japan's population. [1][4][5]

    For professional-use towel buyers, the opportunity is to translate each signal into an appropriate product and service process. Jaroll, a Qingdao-based manufacturer of disposable spunlace nonwoven towels, examines six sectors where current reporting can inform that discussion.

    1. Spas and thermal wellness: plan around the service sequence

    The 2026 Bathhouse and Thermal Wellness Development Benchmark Survey gathered responses from 43 operators and industry participants. According to Spa Business, 65% expected to operate two or more locations within three years. Among 34 respondents with operating facilities, 71% reported positive cash flow. These are findings from a small respondent group, with expansion expressed as an expectation. [1]

    The procurement implication is practical. A thermal circuit, a facial treatment, and a full-body treatment involve different contact areas, coverage needs, and towel quantities. An operator preparing for additional locations can document those requirements before expanding: the product used at each stage, the number issued, its storage location, and the replenishment routine.

    Jaroll's disposable towels and bath towels can be evaluated for those tasks. Sample review should establish the required size, feel, absorbency, and wet handling, while the final specification records the material, fabric weight, texture, and packaging.

    2. Hospitality: cleanliness and wellness meet in everyday details

    TrustYou's hotel cleanliness analysis, reported by Travel Voice, covered approximately 3.17 million reviews of 669 Japanese hotels between August 2023 and July 2026. Of these, 424,731, or approximately 13%, mentioned housekeeping. Across 30 major hotel brands and groups, the correlation between guestroom cleanliness scores and overall evaluation scores was 0.77. [2]

    Separately, Hilton's 2027 Trends Report found that 61% of surveyed travelers were more likely to engage in water-based wellness experiences while traveling. The Morning Consult survey covered 14,744 adults across 14 countries, with fieldwork conducted from May 18 to June 1, 2026. [3]

    Together, these reports give hotel buyers a reason to consider how supplies appear and function in guest bathrooms, spas, pools, and changing areas. They do not measure the effect of a particular towel on reviews. A property evaluating disposable towels should define the intended use, guest presentation, staff handling, and end-of-use process, then collect feedback during a limited trial.

    3. Care: account for the person and the operating conditions

    Japan's Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications estimated that people aged 65 and over represented 29.6% of the country's population as of September 15, 2026, according to The Asia Business Daily. The population estimate was 36.24 million people. Age alone does not determine an individual's need for assisted care, but the demographic context is relevant to service planning. [4]

    Operating conditions also deserve attention. Joint reported an emergency survey by 17 care-sector organizations, with responses from 8,219 facilities and service offices. Care workers' pay increases stood at 3.93% as of September, compared with the reported all-industry spring wage-negotiation average of 5.01%. [6]

    For daily care supplies, buyers should assess the specific task: routine wiping, drying after washing, or body cleansing when showering is difficult. Coverage, wet integrity, clear instructions, and handling after use belong in the assessment. Jaroll's water-activated rinse-free bathing sponge sheets are a separate product category from its dry towels. They require a small amount of water to activate cleansing foam, followed by towel drying; skin-contact and destination-market requirements must be reviewed for the intended project.

    4. Fitness: connect purchasing to visits and service use

    The Health & Fitness Association's 2026 Global Report recorded 10.7% median operator revenue growth and 6.1% median net membership growth in 2025. The underlying survey included 244 operators representing nearly 27,000 facilities; the report covers 33 countries. [5]

    Revenue and membership provide business context. Supply planning needs a closer measure: how often a member uses a changing room, requests a towel, or purchases a post-workout kit. Clubs can record pieces issued per service, replenishment during busy periods, and storage requirements before choosing a pack format.

    Jaroll offers folded bulk packs and individually packaged disposable towels and bath towels. A staffed distribution point and a single-use member kit may call for different packaging arrangements, even when the towel specification is similar.

    5. Outdoor travel: distinguish intentions from visits

    RMS's 2026 outdoor-accommodation research surveyed 1,500 campers across the United States, United Kingdom, Australia, and New Zealand. Sixty-six percent planned to camp more in the coming year, an increase of eight percentage points from the previous year, according to International Glamping Business and RMS. [7]

    Actual visitation provides another perspective. Yellowstone National Park recorded 868,450 recreation visits in September 2026, up 3% year over year. Its January–September total was 4,360,300 visits, down 1%, as reported by Woodall's Campground Magazine. A stronger individual month therefore warrants a different interpretation from a full-period growth trend. [8]

    For campground operators, outdoor retailers, and kit distributors, product evaluation should cover carrying space, moisture protection, available water, and disposal. Individually packaged towels or water-activated cleansing products can be considered for a defined use case. Instructions and waste handling need to fit the destination, particularly where collection facilities are limited.

    6. Pet care: start with the drying task

    Pet Age's October 1 industry report, citing the American Pet Products Association, reported that 95 million U.S. households owned at least one pet in 2025. This household figure describes the broad pet market; it does not quantify professional grooming demand or towel consumption. [9]

    For pet-care buyers, the more useful specification begins with animal size, coat characteristics, the area being dried, and the expected number of pieces per appointment. A product for wiping paws needs a different evaluation from a product for drying a larger animal after washing.

    Jaroll maintains disposable pet towels and disposable pet bath towels as distinct products. Buyers can evaluate samples against the intended drying task and confirm the material, dimensions, packaging, and applicable performance evidence before adding them to a professional range.

    Turn sector signals into a purchasing brief

    These reports measure different populations, periods, and outcomes. They support a closer look at individual service settings rather than a combined forecast for disposable towels.

    A useful purchasing brief starts with the task and records the product specification, packaging, staff handling, expected consumption, and disposal route. Cost assessment should include delivery, storage, handling, and waste charges, alongside any relevant laundry arrangements. Environmental, skin-contact, and performance statements should follow the evidence for the specific product and market.

    For distributors building a professional-use range, the next step is to choose a defined application, review a sample, and run a documented trial. That gives the buyer a basis for connecting the market signal to a product that fits the service.

    About Jaroll

    Founded in 2018, QINGDAO JAROLL HYGIENE PRODUCTS CO., LTD. manufactures disposable spunlace nonwoven towels and related products in Qingdao, China. Jaroll supports distributors, brand owners, and OEM customers with product and private-label development based on confirmed material, dimensions, fabric weight, texture, and packaging requirements.

    Website: https://jaroll.com

    Sources

    1. Spa Business, September 24, 2026. Bathhouse sector eyes multi-site expansion as revenues grow, says GWI Initiative survey. https://www.spabusiness.com/wellness-news/Bathhouse-sector-eyes-multi-site-expansion-as-revenues-grow-says-GWI-Initiative-survey/363669
    2. Travel Voice, October 1, 2026. Reporting on TrustYou's 2026 hotel cleanliness benchmark report. https://www.travelvoice.jp/20261001-160562
    3. Hilton, 2027 Trends Report: The Great Rebalance, water-based wellness findings and methodology. https://stories.hilton.com/2027-trends
    4. The Asia Business Daily, September 21, 2026. Reporting Japan MIC population and older-worker statistics. https://www.asiae.co.kr/en/article/2026092114221759427
    5. Health & Fitness Association, September 14, 2026. The 2026 HFA Global Report Shows the Fitness Industry Delivered a Landmark 2025 With Double-Digit Operator Revenue Growth. https://www.healthandfitness.org/the-2026-hfa-global-report-shows-the-fitness-industry-delivered-a-landmark-2025-with-double-digit-operator-revenue-growth
    6. Joint, October 7, 2026. Reporting the 17-organization care-sector wage survey. https://www.joint-kaigo.com/articles/49285/
    7. International Glamping Business, September 22, 2026. Outdoor travel stays strong in 2026 as AI enters trip planning. https://www.glampingbusiness.com/2026/09/22/outdoor-travel-stays-strong-in-2026-as-ai-enters-trip-planning/. First-party coverage: https://www.rmscloud.com/news/outdoor-travel-stays-strong-in-2026-as-ai-enters-trip-planning
    8. Woodall's Campground Magazine, October 7, 2026. Yellowstone Welcomes 868,450 Visits in September, Up 3%. https://woodallscm.com/yellowstone-welcomes-868450-visits-in-september-up-3/
    9. Pet Age, October 1, 2026. The State of the Pet Industry: 2026 Report, citing APPA's U.S. household data. https://www.petage.com/the-state-of-the-pet-industry-2026-report/