What you need to know
Although COVID-19 disrupted mother and baby retailing at the beginning of 2020, the impact was largely short term affecting the supply-side during the lockdown period. Fundamentally, spending on the category remains high on parents’ priority lists despite increasing financial pressure.
In the long term, the mother and baby retail market will become even more driven by spend per capita, as the declining birth rate is likely to continue, dragged down by a shrinking population of women of childbearing age. Expanding product offering to a wider age range rather than focusing on new-borns is a viable strategy for brands and retailers to stay competitive.
Baby food and clothing are still the biggest segments in the total baby product market, but higher growth has been coming from nappies, durables, toys and baby care products. Chinese parents are paying more attention to the overall wellbeing of their babies not just what they eat and wear.
Incidence of buying from comprehensive shopping websites such as Tmall or JD.com has exceeded that of specialized baby care stores. Unfortunately, although mother and baby online communities remain a trustworthy source of information for parents they still face significant challenges in converting content into retailing.
Key issues covered in this Report
Impact of COVID-19 on mother and baby retailing
Market forecast of baby product retail sales in view of the declining birth rate
Trends in shopping channels and information sources
Price sensitivity in purchasing baby products
Report Scope
The mother and baby retail channels in this Report include both online and offline.
Offline channels include specialised/individual mother and baby care stores, shopping malls, department stores, mother and baby products expos, health and beauty chain retailers, and supermarkets/hypermarkets.
Online channels include comprehensive shopping websites (eg Tmall, JD), specialised babycare shopping websites/apps (eg mia.com, Babytree), brands’ official websites.
The categories covered are baby food, health supplements, baby care products, nappies, baby clothes and footwear, baby durable goods, including baby cots/bedding, strollers and car seats etc. and baby toys.
This Report excludes products that cater to mothers during pregnancy.
