From imported to locally-made
Due to the rising demand from parents of the younger generation and a change in lifestyle amid the growing disposable income and education levels, the value of the maternal and baby market in China was estimated to surpass 3.45 trillion yuan in 2021.The Chinese baby formula contamination scandals back in 2008 boosted the demand for milk formula and baby food from international brands. However, with government support to increase favorability towards local milk formula, the market share of domestic milk formula brands rose considerably in recent years. In 2021, Chinese baby formula brand Feihe ranked first in terms of market share among all infant milk formula brands, indicating the revitalization of the country’s baby formula industry. In addition, domestic diaper brands were also the preferred choice of Chinese consumers.
Increasing purchasing power has enabled Chinese parents to provide their children not only with daily necessities such as infant food, diapers, and clothing but also nutrition supplements, hygiene products, and toys. Over the past few years, China's baby personal care market witnessed a notable development with a focus on new market segments such as baby skincare, bathing, and hair products. It is not hard to imagine that quality is the most important factor for Chinese parents in choosing baby products in all segments.
On the rise and online
Much like the rest of the world, tech-savvy young parents in China use the internet not only to seek parenting advice but also as a primary source to purchase baby items. By the end of 2021, approximately 250 million Chinese consumers had purchased mother and baby products online. Online channels took up more than a third of China's maternity and childcare product retail market and was estimated to grow significantly in the coming years. Nutrition supplements and snacks were the most popular maternity and childcare products sold on e-commerce platforms.The improving living standards of the expanding middle class have already created a solid foundation for medium and high-end mother and child product markets in China. The steady rise of this industry is likely to continue over the next decade with a focus on quality, safety, ecological, and healthy products, increasing retail competition and creating significant business opportunities.
