This report looks at the following areas:
- Consumption trends in baby and children’s products
- Opportunities for baby brands to expand to cover all age groups
- Information touchpoints and purchase channels for baby and children’s products
Although China’s birth rate rebounded in 2024 after eight consecutive years of decline, the long-term trend of low growth continues. Expanding to cover the needs of children across all stages of development will be key for baby brands to break through the birth rate bottleneck.
Laura Liu, Senior Research Analyst – Retail & Home Appliances, China
Market Definitions
This Report primarily explores consumer behaviours and attitudes when purchasing various products for babies and children aged 0-12. The categories of baby and children’s products included are fast-moving consumer goods (FMCG) categories, such as baby and children’s food (formula powder, complementary food/snacks/nutritional supplements), baby and children’s personal care products (eg shampoo, shower gel/milk, lotion/milk/cream) and nappies (diapers)/tissues/wet wipes, and durable goods categories such as feeding products (eg baby bottles/dummies (pacifiers), tableware/water bottles/cups), children’s clothing and shoes, toys, travel supplies (eg buggies, car safety seats) and electronic products (eg baby monitors, children’s watches, tablets).
The Report also covers consumers’ usage of information channels and purchase channels for baby and children’s products. The main channels include comprehensive shopping platforms, content-based ecommerce (short video platforms, Xiaohongshu), food delivery platforms, brands’ official websites/apps/WeChat mini programs, mother and baby online communities/apps, baby and children’s brand stores, mother and baby stores, personal care product chain stores and supermarkets/hypermarkets/convenience stores.
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Executive summary
- Key issues covered in this Report
- Definitions
- What you need to know
- Market overview
- The consumer
- Issues and insights
- What we think
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The market
- Market factors
- Birth rate remains low and baby products face shrinking market space…
- Graph 1: births and birth rate, 2014-24
- …but there is still room for development in consumer spending for older children
- Graph 2: number and percentage of population aged 0-4*, 2013-2023
- Graph 3: number and percentage of population aged 5-14*, 2013-23
- Cautious consumption attitudes persist, but spending for children is still a priority, and brands remain active in innovation for baby and children’s products
- Graph 4: proportion of new food and drink and BPC products with ‘babies’ or ‘children’ claims, 2021-24
- Graph 5: confidence index* for improved financial situation in the next three months, 2021-25
- Short video platforms rise in the baby and children’s market; mother, baby and child stores expand in lower-tier markets and brands strengthen omnichannel integration and coverage
- Holistic development becoming a mainstream concept in parenting, with high-income families paying more attention to ‘precision’ and a ‘sense of ritual’ in child-rearing
- Graph 6: parenting attitudes and behaviours, 2024
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The consumer
- Significant trend in trading up in baby and children’s products
- Strong overall trading up trend in baby and children’s products, with demand for both quality and pragmatic differentiation
- Graph 7: future purchasing plans for baby and children’s products, 2025
- More pronounced trading up trend in products for older children compared to baby products
- Graph 8: plans to purchase more expensive baby and children’s products in the future, by age of child, 2025
- Trading up potential in lower-tier markets worth exploring
- Graph 9: plans to purchase more expensive baby and children’s products in the future, by city tier, 2025
- Multi-child families prioritise function and practise more laid-back child-rearing
- Graph 10: purchase of more expensive baby and children’s products, by number of children, 2025
- Safety and efficacy/functionality are key premium-pricing factors driving trade-ups, while intelligent functions can be a differentiating advantage
- Graph 11: factors worth paying a premium for in baby and children’s products, 2025
- High-income households willing to pay a premium for high quality; authoritative and professional certifications key to enhancing persuasiveness and trust
- Graph 12: factors worth paying a premium for in baby and children’s products, by monthly household income, 2025
- Lower-tier city parents also have a high demand for high-quality baby and children’s products; authoritative and professional certifications can more effectively build trust
- Graph 13: factors worth paying a premium for in baby and children’s products, by city tier, 2025
- Focus on safety, functionality/effectiveness and convenience to drive trading up in multi-child families
- Graph 14: factors worth paying a premium for in baby and children’s products, by number of children, 2025
- Younger parents are becoming more prudent when it comes to trading up, prioritising efficacy, safety and long-term value
- Graph 15: factors worth paying a premium for in baby and children’s products, by age, 2025
- Baby brands expand into all age groups but mismatch between supply and demand remains
- For children’s food and products children come into direct contact with, consumers are considerably more likely to choose brands labelled as ‘proven safe’
- Graph 16: % of consumers who choose the same brand they bought when their children were babies when purchasing products for children aged 4-12, 2025
- The chief user retention barriers are a lack of age-appropriate products and a babyish brand image
- Graph 17: reasons for not choosing a brand bought when children were babies, 2025
- Older parents focus more on suitability, while Gen Z parents pay attention to product quality
- Graph 18: reasons for switching brands, by age group, 2025
- Value for money is an important driver of brand-switching for multi-child families
- Graph 19: reasons for switching brands, by number of children, 2025
- Short video platforms on the rise in baby and children’s markets, while offline brand stores and mother, baby and children stores remain important
- Comprehensive shopping and short video platforms are the dominant information channels, while brand stores and mother and baby stores still lead offline
- Graph 20: information channels for baby and children’s products, 2025
- Graph 21: information channels for baby and children’s products – repertoire analysis, 2025
- Short video platforms have become important information channels for baby and children’s products, while offline mother and baby stores are preferred
- Younger parents prefer specialist mother and baby and child-focused information channels
- Graph 22: information channels for baby and children’s products, by generation, 2025
- High-income groups tend to use more diverse information channels, with a strong preference for Xiaohongshu and short video platforms
- Graph 23: information channels for baby and children’s products, by monthly household income, 2025
- Other consumers hold most sway, while experts and other opinion leaders’ advice remains important
- Graph 24: people who influence the purchase decision in baby and children’s products, 2025
- Harness mother and baby/parenting influencers/KOLs to more effectively influence Gen Z parents
- Graph 25: people who influence the purchase decision in baby and children’s products, 2025
- Experts and parenting influencers/KOLs exert a greater influence on high-income groups
- Graph 26: people who influence the purchase decision in baby and children’s products, by monthly household income, 2025
- Children’s opinions are given more weight as they grow older
- Graph 27: people who influence the purchase decision in baby and children’s products, by age of child, 2025
- Prioritise a mix of comprehensive shopping platforms and brand stores and establish a presence on short video platforms to facilitate online purchases
- Graph 28: purchase channels for baby and children’s products, 2025
- Dads prefer food delivery platforms that can meet immediate needs efficiently
- Graph 29: purchase channels for baby and children’s products, by gender, 2025
- Specialist baby and children’s purchase channels are important for younger children’s products, while for older children, purchase channels align slightly more with the adult market
- Graph 30: offline purchase channels for baby and children’s products, by age of child, 2025
- Brands and retailers need to enhance coverage of lower-tier market channels
- Graph 31: top three purchase channels for baby and children’s products, by city tier, 2025
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Issues and insights
- Focus on quality and professionalism to meet consumer demand for trading up
- Upgrade materials/ingredients to create safer and more functional baby and children’s products
- Smart upgrades can enhance differentiation in product quality to build a competitive advantage
- Collaborate with professional institutions/experts to ensure quality and build trust
- How baby brands can break through the birth rate bottleneck
- From toddlers to teens: brands cater to all stages of development
- Crossing generational lines: becoming a brand for the whole family
- Shake off an infantile brand image and resonate with younger parents through aesthetics and parenting philosophy
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Appendix – methodology and abbreviations
- Methodology
- Abbreviations
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