By amplifying product innovation and cross-category creativity, cheese brands can better meet the diverse scenario-driven cheese consumption demands, propelling market recovery and growth.
Cara Liu, Senior Analyst, China Insights
Market Definitions
This report examines the development trends of the cheese retail market in China and consumer habits and interests in cheese consumption and provides references for business marketing and product innovation.
This cheese report covers cheese defined by the National Food Safety Standard GB5420-2021, and processed cheese and cheese products defined by GB25192-2022. The report’s market size calculations include packaged cheese products across all retail channels, including direct sales. The product and marketing innovation trends cover the aforementioned cheese products and rulao (乳酪, soft cheese from milk powder) products, which are predominantly milk-containing solid moulded products.
- Cheese: solid and semi-solid products produced after coagulation or partial coagulation of proteins in milk and/or dairy products
- Processed cheese: products made primarily from cheese (more than 50%)
- Cheese products: products made primarily from (15%-50%)
- Milk-containing solid moulded products: products made primarily from milk powder, granulated sugar, maltodextrin, starch, non-dairy creamer, whey protein powder and similar ingredients
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Executive summary
- Key issues covered in this Report
- Definition
- What you need to know
- The market and the consumer
- The cheese retail market is expected to recover, with Milkground maintaining its lead
- Retail products and ingredient applications of cheese are increasingly diverse
- Graph 1: the proportion of cheese and cheese products as an ingredient in new food and drink products*, 2019-24
- Graph 2: share of the cheese category in new dairy products, 2019-24
- Traditional channels dominate cheese purchases, while membership supermarkets are on the rise
- Cheese snacks drive overall category consumption, with high-income households and families with children as the core demographics
- Graph 3: frequency of cheese consumption, 2024
- Cheese and solidified milk products share the same name in China, and differentiated development holds opportunities
- Graph 4: types of new cheese products, 2019-24
- Graph 5: perception of ‘real cheese’ (average value), 2024
- The children’s cheese market is cooling down, but the demand from families with children should not be ignored
- Graph 6: proportion of children and infant claims in new cheese products, 2019-24
- Graph 7: selected types of claims in new cheese products, 2019-24
- Issues and insights
- Snack cheese: healthy and delicious choice for staying at home, workplace or exercising
- Culinary cheese: promote cross-category creativity not limited to baking
- Children’s cheese: meeting nutritional needs at home and beyond
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The market
- Market size and forecast
- With improvements in the macro environment and innovation in products driving growth, the cheese retail market is expected to rebound
- Relief of cost pressures helps unlock the growth potential of the cheese retail market
- Foodservice and food processing have become the main drivers of growth in the cheese market.
- Graph 8: cheese consumption per capita, total vs retail, 2018-29
- Product innovation drives subsequent growth in the cheese retail market
- Graph 9: share of sub-categories in new dairy products, 2019-24
- Market factors
- The cheese market is maturing along with its users, paving the way for consumption in all ages
- Graph 10: proportion of children and infant claims in new cheese products, 2019-24
- Strong demand for imported cheese
- The demand for imported cheese is strong, but uncertainties remain in supply growth
- The sufficient supply of raw milk accelerates the domestic production of cheese
- Cheese is proliferating in diets, aiding in the popularisation of packaged cheese
- Companies and brands
- The concentration in the cheese market has increased, with Milkground leading significantly in market share
- On eCommerce platforms, Kiri is in the spotlight, while local dairy food brands rank among the top 10
- Imported products are widely popular, and unprocessed cheese is on the rise
- Graph 11: cheese online channel* sales growth rate, 2023-24
- Local leading companies continue to increase efforts in product innovation
- ‘Local for Local’ enhances the performance of international brands in China
- Cross-category marketing integrates cheese into the local cultural life
- Private label cheese is growing rapidly in response to value-for-money demands
- Graph 12: private label cheese new products, 2019-24
- Graph 13: cheese new product pricing, by whether it is a private label brand, 2019-24
- Purchase channels
- Traditional channels still lead, while membership supermarkets have huge potential
- Graph 14: channels for purchasing cheese, 2024
- Instant retail drives shelf upgrades, diversifying cheese consumption in convenience stores
- Graph 15: channels for buying cheese, 2020 vs 2024
- Adapt to local factors to meet the immediate consumption demands for snack or culinary cheese
- Graph 16: percentage differences in cheese consumption frequency, by purchase channels, 2024
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The consumer
- Consumption frequency
- Cheese penetration has increased, and snack cheese is driving overall category consumption
- More have eaten cheese than they have bought it: ‘free’ cheese is a hidden purchase motivator
- Graph 17: frequency of cheese consumption (net), by whether they have bought cheese, 2024
- Graph 18: cheese purchase and consumption (net), % in consumers, 2024
- Transform passive consumers into active shoppers: foodservice influencing can help bring packaged cheese to the consumer end
- Product perception
- Grasp the ‘unprocessed’ opportunity: upgrade rulao products
- Graph 19: types of new cheese products, 2019-24
- Consumer’s understanding of cheese deviates from reality
- Rulao, the milk powder-derived ‘cheese’, rises as the definition of ‘real cheese’ is not limited to cheese
- Cheese and solidified milk products share the same name in China, and differentiated development holds opportunities
- Graph 20: perception of selected dairy products, 2022
- Highlighting the authenticity of cheese with rich and vibrant regional flavours
- Cultivate the irreplaceable unique competitive strength of rulao
- The rise of brunost highlights the importance of product characteristics
- Graph 21: keywords in Xiaohongshu mentions of brunost*, 2024
- Graph 22: mentions of brunost* on Xiaohongshu, 2023-24
- Consumer groups
- Frequent consumers: provide continuous and diverse product innovations for high-income households
- Graph 23: frequency of cheese consumption, by household income, 2024
- Frequent consumers: respond to child-raising families’ idea of ‘real cheese’ with children’s cheese
- Graph 24: frequency of cheese consumption, by family structure and age of children in household, 2024
- Uncover potential consumers and target specific segments in marketing
- Graph 25: frequency of cheese consumption, by age, 2024
- Potential consumers: break through young adults and students’ consumption bottleneck with ambient cheese
- Graph 26: frequency of buying cheese, by gender, ages 18-24, 2024
- Potential consumers: increase appeal to mature females with authentic cheese
- Graph 27: frequency of cheese consumption, by gender, age 50-59, 2024
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Issues and insights
- Snack cheese: healthy and delicious choice for staying at home, workplace or exercising
- Snacks for home leisure have become the preferred choice for cheese consumption
- Expand cheese snacking occasions with home leisure as the main focus and commuting and travelling as a booster
- Develop the consumption potential of young females: be their snack partners during study and work
- Graph 28: ideal occasions for eating cheese – as school/office snack, by snack cheese consumption frequency, gender and age, 2024
- Snack cheese for boosting sports and health: explore the blue ocean of middle-aged and elderly consumption
- Graph 29: ideal occasions for eating cheese – as a snack before and after workouts, 2024
- Snack cheese needs to have ‘natural’ and ‘authentic’ as its core selling points…
- Graph 30: premiumisation opportunities, by frequency of snack cheese consumption, 2024
- …and meet the consumer demand for snacks that are healthy, portable and tasty
- Cheese triangles have become the latest fad among students and office workers…
- Graph 31: cheese product formats of interest, by snack cheese consumption frequency, 2024
- …and other snack occasions call for more personalised cheese formats
- Cheese can grant the nutrition and satiety required in commutes
- Delicious cheese that is shareable, nutritionally fortified and made from simple ingredients for working or studying
- High-protein cheese snacks and treats to enjoy before and after workouts
- Culinary cheese: promote cross-category creativity not limited to baking
- Diverse ways of using culinary cheese are welcomed by consumers
- Baked goods are at the heart of culinary cheese consumption, and great potential is brewing in drink mixing
- Daily cheese consumers are keen on non-baking applications, especially mixed dairy drinks
- Graph 32: ideal occasions for eating cheese – pairing with other foods, by the frequency of culinary cheese consumption, 2024
- Provide cheese products suitable for homemade drinks for creative beverage enthusiasts
- Inherent nutrition, health benefits and imported milk sources drive the premiumisation of culinary cheese…
- Graph 33: premiumisation opportunities, by frequency of culinary cheese consumption, 2024
- …and more flavours, formulation with less salt and smaller packaging will make a bigger difference
- Emphasise the nutritional and health benefits of culinary cheese
- Snack cheese can step into the culinary realm…
- Graph 34: cheese product formats of interest, by culinary cheese consumption frequency, 2024
- …and enhance consumer interest in pairing foods with cheese
- Graph 35: purchase and consumption of cheese* for cooking/baking/pairing foods (net), Jan 2024 , % of consumers, 2024
- Explore the diverse ways to pair snack-format cheese with foods
- Cheese slices and cheese spread lead the way among traditional culinary cheeses, while shredded cheese’s emergence is not to be missed
- Graph 36: consumption frequency of cheese for cooking/baking/pairing with foods – consumers who have purchased specific cheeses, 2024
- The market for traditional culinary cheese has grown significantly in Tier 1 cities
- Graph 37: consumption trends of cheese used for cooking/baking/pairing with foods – Tier 1 cities consumers aged 18-49, 2020
- Graph 38: consumption trends of cheese used for cooking/baking/pairing with foods – Tier 1 cities consumers aged 18-49, 2024
- An appetising glow-up for traditional culinary cheese
- Children’s cheese: meeting nutritional needs at home and beyond
- Children’s cheese is driving household cheese consumption, and maternal and baby nutrition is further boosting demand
- Graph 39: frequency of cheese consumption, by age of children in household, 2024
- Families with children aged 4-12 tend to consume snacks at gatherings, while parents of teenagers prefer solid dairy products as sports snacks
- Graph 40: ideal cheese eating occasions – eaten alone as snacks, by age of children in household, 2024
- Parents of infants and toddlers favour cheese as supplementary food, while families with children aged 8-12 are fond of baked pastries
- Graph 41: ideal occasions for eating cheese – pairing with other foods, by age of children in household, 2024
- Cheese champions homemade baby supplementary foods: ladder nutritional content by age for precise positioning
- Appeal to interests in kids’ and teenagers’ cheese from aspects such as health, taste, portability and fun
- Families with infants value imported milk sources and nutritional health, while parents of teenagers are more likely to accept domestic cheese
- Graph 42: opportunities for premiumisation of cheese, by age of children in household, 2024
- Families with infants and young children show a greater interest in cheese made from alternative animal milk
- Graph 43: preference for cheese milk source, by age of children in household, 2024
- Cheese lollipops lead children’s cheese, stick and powder forms may become the new favourite snacks for teenage sports
- Graph 44: formats of cheese products of interest, by age of children in household, 2024
- Light, fun and healthy cheese snacks besides cheese lollipops to pack in the school bag
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What we think
- Keys to success
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Appendix – market size and forecast, research methodology and abbreviations
- Market size and forecast
- Methodology: consumer survey
- TURF analysis methodology
- Abbreviations
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