The event was a timely exploration of how China’s health and wellness market, already the second-largest in the world after the US, is set to nearly double in value by 2030, reaching $1.6 trillion. Chinese consumers are increasingly shifting their focus to holistic wellbeing, redefining what it means to live a healthy life. This shift is not just about physical health, but encompasses mental resilience, work-life balance, and a growing appetite for traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) fused with modern products and techniques.

The rise of holistic wellbeing in China

Antoaneta Becker, Director of Consumer Economy at the China-Britain Business Council (CBBC), set the stage with a compelling overview of the market. “China’s health and wellness industry is driven by young consumers, particularly Gen Z and millennials, who are the most curious and impulsive buyers in the market,” she explained. “Post-1995 generations are especially concerned about boosting immunity, a legacy of the Covid-19 pandemic, while the silver population – 300 million strong – are adopting a more rational, preventative approach to health.”

Becker highlighted key trends shaping consumer behaviour, from “lazy health” strategies that require minimal effort, to the resurgence of TCM, which has become “cool” among younger generations. “People want drinks that taste good but also offer health benefits,” she noted. “Baking, which isn’t traditionally Chinese, is now incorporating TCM ingredients. Even slow exercises like Tai Chi and Qigong are making a comeback.”

Nick Parker, International Development Director at Holland & Barrett, echoed this sentiment, emphasising the importance of understanding China’s diverse and dynamic market. “We’re three and a half years into our business in China, and consumer demands have evolved significantly,” he said. “Today’s consumers are more discerning and digitally savvy. Everything is visible online, from positive reviews to negative feedback, so transparency and engagement are crucial.”

A new approach to product development

Emily Fischer, International Product Development Lead at Holland & Barrett, shared insights into how the brand is tailoring its offerings to meet the unique needs of Chinese consumers. “We take inspiration from TCM and back it with scientific research,” she explained. “Our approach is cross-category, looking at customer needs holistically. Instead of just vitamins and supplements, we’re exploring how to support immunity through food, beverages, and even beauty products.”

Fischer highlighted the growing trend of “beauty from within,” where consumers seek products that enhance their appearance through internal health. “Gut health, beauty supplements and topical solutions are all part of this trend,” she said. “It’s about creating a holistic experience that resonates with the consumer’s lifestyle.”

Becker added that the line between beauty and skincare is increasingly blurred in China. “Everything you eat has to contribute to your beauty within,” she said. “Female consumers in particular are driving this market, seeking products that offer both health and aesthetic benefits.”

Navigating China’s complex sales channels

One of the most striking aspects of China’s health and wellness market is its reliance on digital platforms. E-commerce accounts for 51% of sales, a figure that is expected to grow. Supermarkets, once a dominant channel, are declining in importance, while direct sales are also on the wane due to a lack of consumer trust.

Desiree Wong, Senior E-commerce Consultant at Pattern, emphasised the importance of localising brand stories for the Chinese market. “Content is key,” she said. “You might have a great global brand and strong health claims, but does it suit the China market? Localisation goes beyond language and video – it’s about adapting the entire brand story to resonate with Chinese consumers.”

Wong also highlighted the rising costs of marketing in China. “Organic traffic is limited, so brands need to invest in performance marketing, influencers, and key opinion leaders (KOLs) to drive sales,” she explained. “Livestreaming, in particular, has become a powerful tool for engaging consumers and building trust.”

Jonny Kennedy, Founder of British health supplement brand Neubria, shared his experience of entering the Chinese market through a KOL partnership. “We launched in China via a livestream with a popular KOL and generated 3 million RMB from just three sessions,” he said. “It was a great way to test the market and see how our products were received.”

Lessons from China: A global perspective

While the event focused on China, the insights shared have broader implications for global markets. Parker noted that Holland & Barrett is learning valuable lessons from China that can be applied elsewhere. “The digital trends and innovations we’re seeing in China are influencing our strategies in Southeast Asia and the Middle East,” he said. “It’s not just about selling to China; it’s about leveraging these insights to drive growth globally.”

Wong agreed, predicting that Chinese shopping habits will soon influence Western markets. “Shopertainment – combining shopping with entertainment – is already making its way to the UK through platforms like TikTok and Temu,” she said. “AI-powered recommendations and hyper-personalisation will become the norm, offering consumers products tailored specifically to their interests.”

Fischer added that Chinese consumers’ proactive approach to health could also shape global trends. “In the UK, consumers tend to be reactive, seeking solutions to specific health issues,” she said. “But in China, there’s a growing emphasis on prevention and long-term wellbeing. This shift towards proactive health management is something we’ll likely see more of in the West.”

As China’s health and wellness market continues to grow, brands face both challenges and opportunities. Parker pointed out that the Chinese government’s focus on stimulating the domestic economy has led to a rise in patriotic consumption. “Consumers are spending more wisely, prioritising quality over prestige,” he said. “This poses interesting questions for international brands looking to adapt to the Chinese market.”

Parker acknowledged the challenges but remained optimistic. “China is a hugely important and exciting market for us,” he said. “We’re early in our journey, but we’re already seeing the benefits of investing in local teams, diversifying our channels, and creating products tailored to Chinese consumers.”

The event underscored the transformative changes taking place in China’s health and wellness industry. From the rise of holistic wellbeing to the growing influence of digital platforms, the market is evolving at a rapid pace, presenting both challenges and opportunities for global brands.

As Chinese consumers continue to prioritise health, fitness, and mental resilience, the demand for innovative, high-quality products will only grow. For brands like Holland & Barrett, understanding these trends and adapting to the unique needs of the Chinese market will be key to success.

As Becker aptly summarised, “China’s health and wellness market is not just lucrative – it’s a window into the future of global consumer behaviour. Brands that can navigate this dynamic landscape will be well-positioned to thrive in the years to come.”

As the event concluded, one thing was clear: the future of health and wellness is being shaped by the choices and aspirations of Chinese consumers, and the world is watching.

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The rise of the health-conscious consumer

The health-conscious consumer tribe in China has experienced significant growth over the past decade. This expansion has been driven by rising incomes, increased access to health information, the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic, and government initiatives like Healthy China 2030. As a result, consumers across different age groups, from young professionals to the elderly, are increasingly focused on maintaining a healthy lifestyle – and are willing to invest in products and services that promote health, from robust vitamin regimes to exercise classes.

Key drivers

• Cultural shift: Rising incomes and the Covid-19 pandemic have contributed to a widespread cultural shift towards preventive healthcare, where maintaining health through diet, exercise, and lifestyle choices is prioritised. This trend has also been fuelled by the rising availability of health information online and through social media. In many ways, China’s health awareness boom aligns with that in Western markets.
• Product categories: Nutraceuticals, supplements, organic food, and fitness-related products are popular among this group of health-conscious Chinese consumers. Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) products also play a significant role, combining modern wellness trends with more established cultural practices. Chinese consumers also demonstrate a distinct preference for “consumables” in promoting health, creating an especially large opportunity for nutraceuticals and supplements.

Effective marketing strategies

• Content and livestreaming: To effectively engage with health-conscious consumers, brands should focus on delivering educational content that highlights product benefits, proper usage and real-life testimonials. Platforms like Douyin (China’s version of TikTok) are crucial for reaching this tribe, as they tend to prefer authentic, informative content. Livestreaming, in particular, has become a powerful tool for brands to explain product efficacy and function in real-time, providing the transparency that health-conscious consumers value.
• Influencers: Collaborating with health and wellness influencers is another effective strategy. These influencers are often seen as trusted sources of advice, and their endorsements can significantly enhance a brand’s credibility. By partnering with influencers who resonate with this audience, brands can extend their reach and build stronger connections with health-conscious consumers.

Learn more at China Consumer 2024

The health-conscious consumer is just one of several influential tribes shaping China’s consumer landscape. Each tribe offers unique insights into China’s evolving market dynamics and understanding these tribes is key to unlocking new opportunities for growth.

For a deeper dive into these consumer tribes, join the upcoming China Consumer 2024 conference on October 14th, where WPIC will be taking part in a panel session on “Navigating Subcultures and Tribes” and hosting a breakout session on “The Douyin Playbook: Growing in China through Social Commerce”. This event will offer invaluable insights into the latest trends, backed by expert analysis and real-world examples. Don’t miss out on this opportunity to stay ahead in China’s competitive market!

Click here to register

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As the repercussions of the Covid-19 pandemic continue to impact people in China, young, urban consumers are increasingly acknowledging the importance of self-care – and buying products to help them on their wellness journey. People are looking for solutions to previously ignored issues such as anxiety, insomnia and work-related stress, and putting more effort into looking after themselves.

“There has been an attitude shift in China post-Covid,” Joanna Zhou, China Manager for Holland & Barrett, tells FOCUS. “Especially after the recent strict Covid lockdowns, people are reprioritising health.” And it is not just fear of the virus that is driving this shift. It comes at a time when many people in China – particularly Gen Z – are questioning the value of the country’s all-or-nothing 996 work culture, which leaves little time for exercise or nutritionally balanced meals.

Despite this revaluation, people continue to lead hectic work lives, and as a result, interest in products to improve sleep quality or combat the effects of repeated late nights such as melatonin is growing. Holland & Barrett has observed that ‘sleep’ as a sub-category is one of the top three categories that Tmall is promoting.

With time at a premium, Zhou says that many consumers are looking for convenient, on-the-go wellness solutions, i.e., products that they can consume “in the gym, in the office, on the go and at night.” This includes protein drinks and nutrient dense snacks, as well as vitamin supplements in the form of gummies or jellies.

For Chinese consumers, prevention is better than cure

When it comes to health supplements, young Chinese consumers are sophisticated and well-educated. “Rather than generic solutions, they are looking for targeted solutions for immunity or bone health, for example, or probiotics with a range of benefits,” says Zhou. Consumers often compare the formula, dosage and ingredients of different overseas and Chinese brands to find the product that best fits their wellness goal. As a result, brands need to clearly market the specific functionalities and selling points of their products.

Compared to the UK, Chinese consumers are more likely to take supplements for prevention, rather than to cure existing conditions. As Zhou notes, the concept of yangsheng in traditional Chinese medicine, which can be loosely defined as a sort of holistic approach to self-care that targets the root causes of conditions rather than the symptoms, has always been influential in China. “While international brands have often struggled to find common ground with TCM, the current focus on wellness actually offers unique opportunities to tap into this cultural value within the Chinese market,” says Pearl Zhu, UK Sector Lead, Retail & E-Commerce, China-Britain Business Council.

Prevention is also the watchword in the skincare market, where anti-ageing products are not exclusively reserved for those of advancing years. “Chinese consumers are willing to invest in anti-ageing products from a younger age,” says Zhou, pointing to the popularity of products containing grape seeds or rose hips.

How to market wellness solutions in China

For Holland & Barrett, influencer marketing has been key to accessing the company’s target consumers. “We work with different influencers across different social platforms, with clear purposes for each collaboration. We make sure individual influencers have shared target consumers that are aligned with our brand positioning,” Zhou says. This targeted approach extends to e-commerce, where Holland & Barrett targets health-conscious affluent consumers in Guangdong, Shanghai, Zhejiang, Jiangsu and Shanghai via cross-border e-commerce platform Tmall Global.

She cautions that healthcare brands need to think carefully about the positioning of their content, especially when introducing new products or products with technical formulations. “There needs to be a fine balance between hardcore educational brand content and light-hearted content that taps into social and cultural phenomena.”

Holland & Barrett has also seen success working with influencers who create British lifestyle content, taking advantage of the brand’s popularity among current or previously UK-based Chinese consumers, particularly students. “For Chinese consumers pursuing a British-style lifestyle, it may be one of only a few ways to experience a taste of the UK while China’s zero Covid policies are still in place.”

Call +44 (0)20 7802 2000 or email enquiries@cbbc.org now to find out how CBBC’s Launchpad service gets your company boots on the ground in China quickly and cost effectively.

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The consumer health foods market in China is heavily regulated by the Chinese government. Despite this, the market value amounted to RMB 2.9 billion (£338 million) in 2020 and can still be considered a promising market, expected to continue to grow annually by 8.5% between 2021-2025. In October 2021, the sales revenue for the overseas food and supplement market was greater than RMB 1.1 billion (£128.5 million), and during this year’s Double 11 (Single’s Day) shopping festival alone, the total sales volume of imported health supplements reached an impressive RMB 2 billion (£233.6 million).

The most popular product form for health supplements is still tablets, capsules, powders, granules and liquids. It is worth noting that the chewable or gummy format has also been demonstrating strong growth recently. Some of the newer brands in the health foods category that are popularising chewables and gummies are American vitamin brand Olly, and Australian brand Unichi. Unichi has differentiated itself by focusing on its “bear gummies.” In innovating their product formats and moving away from traditional capsules, these brands have attracted the younger generation, which has allowed them to achieve fast development in the China market.

What are the most popular health food supplements in China?

The categories and health effects that Chinese consumers were most concerned about during this year’s Double 11 shopping season included heart health and other cardiovascular issues, bone and joint care, beauty nutrition (e.g., supplements aimed at strengthening hair and nails), and probiotics and other microbial supplements.

According to Alibaba’s 2021 Tmall Healthcare Trend Report, products addressing hair loss, weight loss and a lack of sleep also continue to be popular categories. Sales of sleep aids, including supplements, sleep patches and electronic devices, demonstrated a 220% growth rate this year. This feeds into the growing backlash again China’s notoriously gruelling work culture.

Alibaba Health also identified a 56% rise in healthy foods that are conveniently packaged to eat on-the-go, including products such as sesame balls, bird’s nests and goji-berry beverages. The report described their growing popularity as part of the “fragmented healthcare” trend, meaning increasing numbers of Chinese consumers are looking for products or treatments to manage their health in their spare time.

An advertisement from the front page of Australian supplement brand Unichi’s Tmall Global page

What are the top five health supplement brands in China?

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In the near future, China’s highly lucrative baby food sector will go through a something of a baby boom according to CBBC‘s food and drink sector lead, Ran Guo. In no small part, this is due to the introduction of China’s two-child policy in 2016, combined with a strong desire for foreign products. According to Euromonitor, eight out of the top 10 milk powder brands that dominate China’s £15 billion milk powder market are foreign.

Kate Herrera, buyer from targeted mother and baby e-commerce platform Beibei, thinks that British baby food in particular has the potential to thrive due to being “well-known by mass consumers worldwide.” Ella’s Kitchen, Piccolo, Kiddylicious, Little Freddie and Organix are just some of the British baby food and milk powder companies already profiting from opportunities in China.

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), many Chinese parents use formula powder and homemade supplements to feed their babies, with the majority of Chinese baby food being homemade. This is because there are currently not enough commercially produced baby foods in the Chinese market that Chinese consumers believe provide ‘pure’ and ‘healthy’ food.

A 2015 baby food market report conducted by Nelson, said that ‘brand, safety, and nutrition’ were among the most important factors for Chinese consumers when buying baby food and drinks – not the price. This highlights the importance of building a strong brand image and the existence of a large gap in the market for companies selling baby foods with minimal additives.

Oliver Pinkus, head of international sales from baby food company Piccolo, says that his company’s “track record with British supermarkets… has proved as important as our brand story and product range.”

A recent surge in the popularity of stand-up pouches is due to their long shelf life and easy to carry, hygienic and flexible nature

The results of this push for high-quality baby food and drinks are evident amongst the demands of today’s generation of parents, which are becoming ever more specific and detailed for a greater range of baby food within China. When asked which mother and baby products they would like to see a larger choice of, consumers ranked baby food above infant formula and diapers in first position – an increase from previous years. This raises the question, which type of products are Chinese parents hoping to see a greater variety of?

Brand, safety, and nutrition were among the most important factors for Chinese consumers when buying baby food – not the price

Last year’s Children Baby Maternity Expo consumer report went some way to answering that question when it revealed that Chinese consumers ranked health and nutrition, mother’s care, snacks and imported food as the products that they would most like to see.

Pinkus from Piccolo states that snacking is a quickly expanding market and that there is a “definite preference for fruit versus savoury or vegetable flavours.” Another gap in the market is for goat’s milk and other dairy substitutes as an alternative to breast milk.

And organic is a big preference too. Over half of Chinese mums aged between 20 and 39 said they trust the product quality of packaged organic baby foods. However, between March 2015 and February 2017, only 5 percent of baby foods and drinks that were launched in the market were classified as organic – compared to 29 percent worldwide. One reason for this lies in the lack of resources, land and the problem of poor air quality and pollution within China, which combine to stunt the creation of a domestic organic produce base.

Baby food packaging and parents’ preferences for packaging types are also diversifying. A recent surge in the popularity of stand-up pouches is due to their long shelf life and easy to carry, hygienic and flexible nature, all of which adapts well to today’s busy lifestyle – particularly in China. Asia Pacific is emerging as a very important market for baby food packaging because of the growing urban population who lead a busy day-to-day lifestyle.

In terms of imagery on packaging, Herrera from Beibei believes that using Royal-related imagery could produce an “outstanding result” for British baby food and drink companies.

However, entering the Chinese market does not always prove straightforward. Pinkus thinks it is important to remember that when a British company enters the Chinese market, it is “competing with brands from all over the world, not just other British products, so to differentiate yourself is even more crucial.” It is also essential to consider the vast rules and regulations when exporting to China.

The only UK company that has managed to get both CFDA accreditation for infant milk powder and organic certification to sell to Chinese consumers is Kendamil Organic Formula and Kendamil Organic cereal

A particular example of this is gaining organic certification. If products have UK or USDA organic certification, they cannot use organic on their labelling in China, as without Chinese certification, UK or US organic certification is not recognised. Therefore, to gain the Chinese Organic Certificate, products must be assessed by the Certification and Accreditation Administration of the People’s Republic of China (CNCA). Fresh meat and protein products must also have an Export Health Certificate, while plant-based products need to be accompanied by a phytosanitary certificate.[12]

The only UK company that has managed to get both CFDA accreditation for infant milk powder and organic certification to sell to Chinese consumers is Kendamil Organic Formula and Kendamil Organic cereals. However, completing the paperwork has paid off as their products are now sold in 15,000 mother and baby stores and 90 Ole Supermarkets across 31 Chinese provinces.

A final factor to consider is how parents research and purchase baby food and drinks products. Although 50 percent of today’s parents still learn information from store visits, the internet is becoming increasingly important, with parents using sources such as search engines (60 percent), social media (46 percent), professional websites (43 percent), and discussion forums (42 percent).[13] Yet when actually purchasing the products, 61 percent of parents buy their baby food from specialist stores, and only 8 percent buy products online.[14] However, this is going to grow; a study by JD Big Data Research Institute expects online sales to account for 40 percent of sales in the mother and baby sector in 2020.

Therefore, an online presence is vital. Most brands are familiar with online marketplaces such as Tmall or JD, but it’s also important to explore partnerships with targeted Mother and Baby vertical or e-commerce platforms such as Mia.com or Beibei. Grace Li, Mia’s chief cultural officer, states that Mia.com has “50 million registered customers, out of which more than 90 percent are young women with a continuous desire of consumption,” providing a targeted customer base for baby food and drink companies.

Besides providing the e-commerce function, these platforms also serve as a community for mothers to share recommendations. Li states that Chinese customers particularly like “posting and browsing comments” on Mia.com.

With busier lifestyles and the changing values of what Chinese parents would like to buy, new gaps are opening up in the Chinese market for British companies to fill with their innovative baby foods and high-quality packaging. However, having patience, the right partnerships, information and being equipped with the correct certification is essential to experience lasting success amongst Chinese consumers.

A new series on the regulatory guidelines on the food and drink sector are now available for members to download.

For more information, subscribe to CBBC’s food and drink newsletter or contact Ran Guo in Beijing on Ran.Guo@cbbc.org.cn or Antoaneta Becker in London on Antoaneta.Becker@cbbc.org.

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