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Report
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The light exercise habits of Chinese consumers are a double-edged sword for brands. It will not only affect the sales of hard core professional performance nutrition in the short term,…
China
Health and Wellness
simple
China Fitness Consumer: 2023
The light exercise habits of Chinese consumers are a double-edged sword for brands. It will not only affect the sales of hard core professional performance nutrition in the short term, but also provide new ideas for the development of the brand as an overall healthy lifestyle companion.
Overall low activity level alarms brands to invest more in holistic active lifestyle
Graph 1: exercise frequency, 2023
Running is the most popular and worthy of investment
Graph 2: top 5 exercise types, by exercise frequency, 2023
Professional performance nutrition needs more market education
Graph 3: supplements usage, 2023
Protein powder should be partner of an active lifestyle
Graph 4: consumption barrier of protein powder, 2023
Consumption for nutrition purpose rather than fitness purpose
Graph 5: consumption reason of protein products, 2023
Guide consumers how to intake at different stages of exercise
Graph 6: needs of sports nutrition at different times, 2023
Issues and insights
What we think
The market
Market factors
National Fitness Program to promote better accessibility for all
Unstable supply chain in the international context benefits domestic producers
Marketing activities
Ffit8 launches “High Calcium Protein Powder” in collaboration with a pharmaceutical company
CPT keeps focusing on marathon race
New product trends
Nutritional & meal replacement drinks saw decrease in the past five years
Graph 7: share of high/added protein claim in new launches of food and drinks, 2019-23
Graph 8: share of top 10 categories in new launches of food and drinks with high/added protein claims, 2019-23
High-protein sports and fitness-related products have more fruity and sweet flavour components
Examples of flora, rice & cereal and savoury flavoured high-protein products, China
Fortified vitamins/protein and functional claims dominate the performance nutrition category
Free-from claims are fast growing in the performance nutrition category
Examples with fastest-growing claims, China
Milk protein remains commonplace while soy protein is rising
Examples of performance nutrition with plant-based protein, China and Global
The consumer
Exercise frequency
Overall activity level is low
Graph 9: exercise frequency, 2023
High cost possibly blocking consumers out
Graph 10: exercise frequency – within 30 minutes, by monthly personal income, 2023
Example of combining muscle and mental health
Lacking intense exercise harms the sports nutrition business now
Graph 11: exercise frequency – within 30 minutes, by exercise frequency – more than 30 minutes, 2023
Females are worthy of attention
Graph 12: exercise frequency – more than 30 minutes, by age and gender, 2023
Exercise type
Running and ball games are popular…
Graph 13: exercise type, 2023
…more sports fields may be the reason for the popularity
Graph 14: year-on-year growth of different ballgame venues, 2021-22
Age has a say in exercising
Graph 15: selected exercise types, by age group, 2023
Seniors are pursuing active lifestyles via exercising
Running occasion is worthy of investment
Graph 16: top five exercise types, by exercise frequency, 2023
Graph 17: top five exercise types, by personal monthly income, 2023
Supplements usage
Consumers prefer sports-ish food and drink to professional sports nutrition
Graph 18: awarenss and penetration map of supplements, 2023
Graph 19: supplements usage, 2023
Heavy exercisers show more interest in sports nutrition
Graph 20: supplements usage – haven’t bought and not interested in buying or I don’t know/never heard of it*, by exercise frequency – more than 30 minutes, 2023
Protein products are more popular…
Graph 21: supplements usage – have bought and will continue to buy, by if exercised in the last six months*, 2023
…but less necessary among consumers who exercise at least once a week
Graph 22: supplements usage – have bought and will continue to buy, by exercise frequency – more than 30 minutes, 2023
More convenient packages are needed
Consumption barrier
It’s not a distrust of protein
Graph 23: consumption barrier of protein powder, 2023
Isolated whey protein powder has a better perception
Graph 24: consumption barrier of protein powder*, by product type, 2023
Consumer pursue holistic wellbeing
Graph 25: consumption barrier of normal protein powder*, by if consumers have exercised in the last six months, 2023
Help consumers achieve a healthier lifestyle
Graph 26: consumption barrier – normal protein powder*, by exercise frequency – more than 30 minutes , 2023
Consumption reason of protein products
Consumption is mainly nutrition-driven
Graph 27: consumption reason of protein-based products, 2023
Reasons vary by gender and age
Graph 28: selected consumption reason of protein-based products, by age and gender, 2023
Graph 29: consumption reason of protein-based products, by gender, 2023
Isolated whey protein powder has its own charm
Graph 30: selected consumption reason of protein-based products , by product type – have bought, 2023
Graph 31: selected consumption reason of protein-based products, by product type – have bought and will continue to buy, 2023
Needs of sports nutrition at different times
Hydrating is the highest priority
Graph 32: needs of sports nutrition at different stages, 2023
Guide consumers how to intake at different stages of exercise
Everyday-exercisers especially care about replenishing electrolytes
Pay more attention to pre/post-workout needs when targeting everyday-exercisers
Graph 33: difference of interests in function between who exercise every day and who exercise once a month or less*, by stages, 2023
issues and insights
Make protein powder a partner of holistic healthy lifestyles
Protein powder needs to be more than merely sports nutrition
Fitter outside as well as inside
Leverage protein plus formula to target immunity health
Pay attention to gut health and remove indigestion concern
Consumers are concerned about gut condition even when it comes to performance nutrition
Unify gut health and performance
Graph 34: selected gut health-related claims of performance nutrition with high/added protein claim, 2019-23
Global examples of combining gut health and performance nutrition
Performance nutrition for women
Quite a few females exercise at high frequency
Innovation is far behind and blank
Graph 35: share of female claims in performance nutrition new launches, by region, 2019-23
Graph 36: share of female claims in performance nutrition new launches, 2019-23
The light exercise habits of Chinese consumers are a double-edged sword for brands. It will not only affect the sales of hard core professional performance nutrition in the short term, but also provide new ideas for the development of the brand as an overall healthy lifestyle companion.
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