In 2024, as the post-95 generation (Generation Z) approaches their 30s, it also means that Gen Z has gradually entered the “newlywed and new parent” stage, becoming the main force in the maternal and infant market and the backbone of this consumer group.
The huge consumption volume and formidable purchasing power of this new generation have led them to gradually gain more and more say.
Specifically, what consumption tendencies are manifested in the maternal and infant consumers of Chinese Gen Z?
Through research on channels and insights from social media platforms like Weibo (Chinese Facebook), Little Red Book (Chinese social e-commerce app), and Zhihu (Chinese Q&A platform), as well as data platforms such as Moojing Magic Intelligence, we summarise the mother and baby consumption trends into five points.
1. Green and Environmentally-Friendly Products
Consumers are paying more and more attention to the environmental attributes of products and are more inclined to choose maternal and infant products that are environmentally friendly and sustainable.
On Weibo, the total cumulative views of topics related to “green and environmentally-friendly/sustainable development” have reached 7.28 billion, and the total number of discussions has reached 52.31 million. Among them, the hashtag “#Sustainable Travel#” reached the hot search list at rank 43, and the hot search term “#Environmental Protection in Action#” also reached the “hottest” level.
On Little Red Book, from the beginning of this year to the present, the number of newly published notes related to “eco-friendly products/sustainable products/green and environmentally-friendly/sustainable economy” has increased by 79% year-over-year, the reading volume has increased by 33%, and the interaction has increased by 15%.
On the Zhihu platform, topics related to “green and environmentally-friendly” have reached 88.86 million views and over 80,000 discussions; in addition, topics related to “low-carbon living” have reached 77.06 million views and over 60,000 discussions.
2. Nature-based education for children
In the process of children’s growth, parents are paying more attention to the importance of natural aesthetic education, hoping that children can be exposed to and appreciate the beauty of nature, so related maternal and infant products have also been popular.
On Weibo, topics related to “parent-child outdoor activities” have accumulated a total of 18.78 billion views and 7.03 million discussions.
On Little Red Book, from the beginning of this year to the present, the number of newly published posts on the topic of “natural aesthetic education/natural strolling with children” has increased by 69% year-over-year, the reading volume has increased by 63%, and the interaction has increased by 58%.
On Zhihu, topics related to “parent-child travel and strolling” have reached 23.2 million views and over 100,000 discussions, and topics related to “natural aesthetic education” have reached over 17.07 million views and over 20,000 discussions.
From the product sales perspective, data from Moojing Magic Intelligence shows that during the June 2023 to May 2024 period, the sales of outdoor/mountaineering/camping/travel products on the Taobao and Tmall (major Chinese e-commerce platforms) platforms reached 63.005 billion RMB, a year-over-year increase of 10%; the sales of children’s outdoor wear reached 1.213 billion RMB, a year-over-year increase of 53.42%, performing impressively in the children’s clothing category.
3. Family-Oriented Products and Services
For the current maternal and infant industry, the trend of whole-family orientation is becoming increasingly evident. The maternal and infant consumption scenario is no longer focused on 0-3 years old, but extends to a broader whole-family concept, manifesting in two core directions: whole-family nutrition and whole-family merchandise.
On Weibo, the relevant topics on whole-family nutrition have a total cumulative readership of 5.76 billion and a total discussion volume of 3.32 million.
On Little Red Book, from the beginning of this year to the present (YTD), the topic of “whole-family nutrition” has seen a 182% year-over-year increase in newly published notes and a 28% increase in interactions.
Within Zhihu, the topics related to diet and nutrition have reached 1.02 billion views and over 600,000 discussions.
From the product sales perspective, data from Moojing Market Intelligence shows that from June 2023 to May 2024, the sales of infant and child nutrition products on the Taobao and Tmall platforms reached 6.1774 billion RMB, a year-over-year increase of 25.53%; the sales base of health food/dietary supplements has already exceeded 75.1 billion RMB, reaching 75.51 billion.
Furthermore, in the evolution of the whole-family orientation, paying for healing has also become the pursuit of a better life for the young generation of Gen Z. Data shows that the global “healing” economy will grow at a rate of about 10% per year, and by 2025, the market size will reach 7 trillion US dollars.
On Weibo, the relevant topics on “#Healing Economy/Emotional Value#” have a total cumulative readership of 47.42 billion and a total discussion volume of 48.38 million.
On Little Red Book, from the beginning of this year to the present (YTD), the topics related to “healing” have seen higher popularity. The number of newly published notes increased by 232% year-over-year, interactions increased by 195%, and readership increased by 162%.
4. Chinese Cultural Elements
As the revival of traditional Chinese culture gains momentum, more and more consumers are becoming increasingly fond of mother-and-baby products that have elements of traditional Chinese culture. These products not only have a unique aesthetic but also help to pass on and promote traditional culture.
On Weibo, topics related to the national cultural renaissance have accumulated a total reading volume of 498 million and a total discussion volume of 155,545.
On Little Red Book, from the beginning of this year to the present, the number of new notes posted on the “National Trends and Cultural Renaissance” topic has increased by 162% year-on-year, the interaction volume has increased by 75%, and the reading volume has increased by 81%.
On Zhihu, topics related to the national cultural renaissance have reached 150 million views and over 100,000 discussions.
Looking at product sales performance, Moojing Majic Intelligence shows that during the June 2023 to May 2024 period, the sales of children’s national style products on the Taobao and Tmall platforms reached a substantial level.
5. Smart and Labor-Saving Products
Consumers are increasingly focusing on the intelligence and convenience of products. Smart, portable, and labor-saving smart parenting gadgets are becoming the key product focus for “lazy moms and dads”.
On Weibo, topics related to “#New Parenting Habits#” have accumulated a total reading volume of 50.4 billion and a total discussion volume of 77.92 million.
On Zhihu, topics related to “#Smart Home#” have reached 1.1 billion views and over 600,000 discussions.
Looking at product sales performance, data from Moojing Majic Intelligence shows that on Taobao and Tmall, smart baby cribs, smart baby bottles, and other intelligent products have performed well. Among them, during the June 2023 to May 2024 period, the sales of smart baby bottles on the Taobao and Tmall platforms reached 1.2 million units, a year-on-year increase of 73.17%.
At the CBME China 2024, a special CBME VISION Future Maternal and Infant Life Show area was set up, which, through carefully constructed vivid scenarios, deeply analyzed and comprehensively showcased the five major frontier trends in the current Chinese maternal and infant industry.
This exhibition area displayed a total of 168 innovative products, which not only attracted the attention of many well-known brands, but also triggered a widespread resonance and active response from channel partners, jointly envisioning and promoting the future development of the maternal and infant market.
Next year’s CBME, as an industry benchmark, CBME VISION will continue to uphold a forward-looking vision, identify future trends in the maternal and infant industry, select the annual top products, and help the maternal and infant industry seize new consumer trends and achieve leapfrog growth.
