How to Sell Baby Skincare Products in China
Following China’s economic growth and the abolition of the one-child policy, parents are now more serene when it comes to starting a family. Thanks to the global rise in terms of wages, Chinese parents have now more purchasing power than before and are ready to invest as much as they can for their offspring.
Thus, the baby skin care market is anticipated to register an unprecedented growth rate owing to rising concerns over baby health, reaction to pollution, increasing awareness among young parents about hygiene, etc. Even though China’s baby care market was for a long time dominated by foreign brands, the competition is tougher than before. That’s why you’ll have to understand Chinese consumers’ habits and adapt your strategies in order to sell your baby skincare products in China.
China’s Baby Care Market in 2022
Following rising concerns about Chinese babies’ health over the years, baby personal care, in general, is poised to witness significant growth. In 2019, the market size of mother and baby products in China reached approximately 2.7 trillion yuan, growing at around a 15% rate annually in the past three years.
According to market research, the China baby care products market is expected to grow at a compound annual growth rate of 10.69% between 2020 and 2027 to reach a market size of US$23.469 billion in 2027, from US$11.531 billion in 2020. Chinese young parents pursue high-end lifestyles, particularly in lower-tier cities.
China: The definite leader on the baby products market
As in anywhere else in the world, the baby & child skin care industry is one of the most lucrative, as parents want the best for their children. However, if we look at the top 5 countries selling the most baby and child skin care products in the world, China is by far the definite leader.
Now the numbers will be even higher, as especially after COVID-19 pandemic, Chinese parents will be willing to invest more in baby personal care products and high quality food, especially from foreign brands, to ensure that they provide the best care for their children.
Chinese parents prefer foreign brands after recent baby products and baby food scandals
International brands are often perceived by Chinese consumers as being of higher quality, safer and more reliable than Chinese ones mainly because of the scandals. Thus, Chinese mothers are more cautious than before when it comes to applying products directly to their child’s skin. For example, one of the most popular scandals related to baby skincare products was the steroid cream scandal.
According to surveys, the safety of products is the most important criterion in choosing baby cosmetic products for Chinese parents. After seeing this picture, you probably understand why Chinese parents tend to be extremely cautious when it comes to skincare products.
How to sell your baby skincare products in China?
The baby skin care market has seen steady growth through both online and offline distribution channels. In fact, although offline channels are still favoured by many Chinese consumers, the growing online presence through both e-commerce and social media seems to indicate a shift in consumption to online channels in the years to come.
For example, following the Covid-19 pandemic, the demand for baby products has skyrocketed and on the platform JD.com, sales have increased more than 10 times compared to 2019. Other popular platforms have had the same phenomenon over the last few months.
Sell Baby Skincare on Chinese E-commerce platforms
In recent years, being on e-commerce platforms has become a must-have for both Chinese and foreign companies that are ready to invest a lot of money in order to be on the most popular e-commerce platforms such or JD.com. In fact, the majority of the Chinese population regularly purchases products online, as it is easier and more convenient.
China has 905 million online shoppers as of 2021 (and even more mobile shoppers, that will reach 1.14 billion by 2023) and is among the leading market in terms of e-commerce, with a market with over $2 trillion in sales. China’s digitalization and the daily use of smartphones connected to the internet have greatly contributed to this growth as consumers spend a lot of time on their smartphones.
Tmall 天猫
Founded in 2008 under the famous Alibaba group, (天猫), is a subsidiary of the e-commerce website Taobao (淘宝网). Tmall stands out from its competitors thanks to its strict standards in terms of quality and renown. Over the years, Tmall was able to grab the majority of China’s e-commerce market shares, establishing itself as the most popular Chinese e-commerce website and becoming the best online gateway for local and international retailers.
Thus, if you want to sell your baby’s skincare products on Tmall, you will have to pay consequent fees and complete a long procedure, but you also have to be already known online. In fact, Tmall is more targeted to the biggest international brands.
If you succeed to be on Tmall, don’t forget to put a lot of pictures, and videos if you want, as well as a detailed description written in Mandarin Chinese.
How to promote your baby skincare products in China?
Promoting your baby’s skincare products is as important as being on e-commerce platforms. It is estimated that brands that do not promote their products online have almost no chance to succeed in China. Following China’s digitalization and its tech-savvy population, the majority of the population looks for information on the internet before purchasing something.
Most Chinese parents will check multiple of the online market, not only baby dedicated websites, but also brands’ websites and social media accounts, forums etc, to ensure the best quality of the products.
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