Table of Contents
Executive Summary
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- The market
- COVID-19 having a positive influence on the weight management diet market
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- Figure 1: Short, medium and long-term impact of COVID-19 on diet for weight management, China, December 2020
- Retail sales will keep growing in the next five years
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- Figure 2: Retail value sales forecast of the weight management product market* (Billion RMB), China, 2020-25
- Companies and brands
- Market gets more fragmented and competitive
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- Figure 3: Retail market share (Value), China 2018-19
- Increased presence of food and drink products catering to weight management needs
- The consumer
- Weight management consciousness is high and will continue to grow
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- Figure 4: Weight management goals, Sept 2020
- To look good and to feel good are key motivators
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- Figure 5: Motivations for weight management, September, 2020
- Continuously optimising everyday diets for weight management purpose
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- Figure 6: Ways to manage body shape, September 2020 vs June 2016
- Greasy meals and snacks are major barriers
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- Figure 7: Dietary habits and impact on weight management, September 2020
- Scientific approaches appeal to sophisticated consumers
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- Figure 8: Products and services of interest: % ‘very interested’, September 2020
- Sports nutrition products moving from niche to public
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- Figure 9: Interested in foods for weight management, Sept 2020
- What we think
Issues and Insights
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- Sports nutrition to extend beyond athletics
- The facts
- The implications
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- Figure 10: Examples of sports nutrition brands promoting its products as a nutritious ingredient for everyday meals and desserts, global, 2020
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- Figure 11: Examples of healthy snacks/meal replacements featuring benefits of improving exercise effectiveness, China and Global, 2020
- Emotional wellbeing gaining relevance
- The facts
- The implications
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- Figure 12: Examples of weight management food and drinks with fun features, China, 2020
- Weight management fits as a solution for healthy ageing
- The facts
- The implications
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- Figure 13: Examples of weight management products integrated with health benefits desired by specific age and gender groups, China, 2020
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- Figure 14: Examples of weight management products integrated with multiple health benefits, China, 2020
The Market – Key Takeaways
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- Weight management diet moves from niche to public
- Meal replacement powders/shakes and OTC Orlistat are fastest growing segments
- COVID-19 drives up the demand for weight management diet as a part of healthy lifestyle
Market Size and Forecast
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- Bottled meal replacement powder/shake springing up the market
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- Figure 15: Retail value sales of the weight management product market* (Billion RMB), China, 2014-19
- Weight management products attracting healthy adults
- Future outlook considering the impact of COVID-19
- Impact of COVID-19
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- Figure 16: Short, medium and long-term impact of COVID-19 on diet for weight management, China, December 2020
- Mintel’s forecast
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- Figure 17: Retail value sales forecast of the weight management product market* (Billion RMB), China, 2020-25
Market Segmentation
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- Meal replacement powders/shakes and OTC Orlistat gaining share
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- Figure 18: Retail value sales share, by market segments, China, 2014-19
- OTC Orlistat
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- Figure 19: Retail value sales forecast of OTC Orlistat (Billion RMB), China, 2020-25
- Meal-replacement powders/shakes
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- Figure 20: Retail value sales forecast of meal replacement powders/shakes* (Billion RMB), China, 2020-25
- ‘Health food’ certified weight loss products
- Weight loss tea
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- Figure 21: Retail value sales forecast of weight loss tea* (Billion RMB), China, 2020-25
- Other weight loss dietary supplements
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- Figure 22: Retail value sales forecast of other weight loss supplements* (Billion RMB), China, 2020-25
Market Factors
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- The increasing overweight population
- The Healthy China Mission drives industry evolution
- Food science knowledge gets profound
- Increasing spending on healthy food after COVID-19
- Continuous development and evolution of ecommerce
Key Players – Key Takeaways
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- Market getting fragmented
- Competition gets fiercer
- Increase of food and drinks catering to weight management needs
- Botanicals ingredients will get even more popular
Market Share
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- The market gets fragmented
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- Figure 23: Retail market share (Value), China 2018-19
- Big names joining competition
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- Figure 24: Examples of new weight management product launches by companies from other verticals, China, 2019-20
Competitive Strategies
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- Besunyen: brand rejuvenated via content marketing and ecommerce
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- Figure 25: Besunyen’s marketing and product innovations, China, 2019-20
- Health food brands expanding into everyday food and drink categories
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- Figure 26: Examples of Lvshou’s weight management product innovations within both health food and ordinary food and drinks, China, 2019-2020
- Major meal replacement brands: expand the flavour spectrum
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- Figure 27: Top flavours ingredients in meal replacement powder/shake new products (Penetration), China, September 2015-August 2020
- Figure 28: Examples of meal replacement products featuring trendy flavours, China, 2019-20
- Small players exploring ways of differentiation
- Ruffood若饭: investing in product format innovation and specialised nutrition
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- Figure 29: Examples of Ruffood RTD meal replacement, China, 2020
- SuperZero (超级零): instant meal kits for weight loss purpose
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- Figure 30: Examples of SuperZero instant meal kits, China, 2020
- BeastLife (野兽生活): introducing the Ketogenic diet concept
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- Figure 31: Examples of Beast Life’s hero products, China, 2019-20
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- Figure 32: Examples of KD food and drinks claiming to offer more than weight loss, Global, 2019-20
- By-health: targeting young female fitness consumers
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- Figure 33: Examples of By-health’s new product launches targeting young female fitness consumers, China, 2019-20
Trends and Innovations
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- Overview of launch activities
- Food and drink new products with weight management benefits are on the rise…
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- Figure 34: Proportion of new food* and drink products with weight control related claims**, China, 2015-20
- …particularly in beverage categories
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- Figure 35: Proportion of new food* and drink products with weight control related claims**, by top categories, China, 2015-20
- Scope to innovate the indulgent categories (eg comfort food)
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- Figure 36: Proportion of new food* and drink products with weight control related claims**, by selected indulgence categories, China and Global, 2019-20
- Figure 37: Examples of indulgent foods featuring weight control benefits, China, 2019-20
- Botanicals are flourishing ingredients
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- Figure 38: Top ingredient claims among new food* and drink products with weight control related claims**, China, 2015-20
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- Figure 39: Examples of weight management products featuring functional botanical ingredients, Global, 2019-20
- Innovation spotlights
- Konjac root tapping into the demand for weight management
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- Figure 40: Examples of new products featuring konjac for weight management benefits, China, 2019-20
- Facilitating scientific eating with ‘precision’ claims
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- Figure 41: Examples of new products highlighting ‘precise-control’ in product name or packaging, China, 2019-20
The Consumer – Key Takeaways
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- Continuously optimising everyday diets
- Weight management consciousness will continue to grow
- To look good and to feel good are key motivators
- Greasy meals and snacks are major barriers
- Milkshakes and whey protein bars moving from niche to public
Methods Taken for Weight Management
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- More efforts into optimising everyday diet
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- Figure 42: Ways to manage body shape, September 2020 vs June 2016
- High earners are first to embrace meal replacement and better-for-you food and drinks
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- Figure 43: Selected ways to manage body shape, by household income, September 2020
Weight Management Goals
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- Majority has weight management goals to accomplish
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- Figure 44: Weight management goals, September 2020
- Educated females in tier one cities show stronger weight management consciousness
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- Figure 45: Weight management goals: I do not have weight management plans in the next 12 months, by demographic, September 2020
Motivations for Weight Management
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- Weight loss for body; weight maintenance for soul
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- Figure 46: Motivations for weight management, September, 2020
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- Figure 47: Selected motivations for weight management, by weight management goals, September, 2020
- Figure 48: Motivations for weight management: to shape and tone muscles, by education level, September, 2020
- Young people do it to look better while older consumers for health
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- Figure 49: Selected motivations for weight management, by age, September, 2020
Barriers for Weight Management from a Dietary Habits Perspective
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- Greasy meals and snacks are major barriers
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- Figure 50: Dietary habits and impact on weight management, September 2020
- Weight gain and weight loss consumers need assistance
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- Figure 51: Barriers* to weight management, by weight management goals, September 2020
Products and Services of Interest
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- Wide interest in trying a variety of emerging products and services
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- Figure 52: Products and services of interest: % ‘very interested’, September 2020
- The weight loss consumers are most enthusiastic early adopters
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- Figure 53: Products and services of interest: % ‘very interested’, by weight management goals, September 2020
Interest in Foods for Weight Management
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- Milkshakes can further expand meal occasions while whey protein bars fit into everyday usage
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- Figure 54: Interested in foods for weight management (correspondence analysis*), September 2020
- Wider usage occasions lead to higher levels of interest
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- Figure 55: Interest level* and number of associated usage occasions, by food type, September 2020
- Milkshakes and whey protein bars attract high earners
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- Figure 56: Interest level* in foods for weight management, by monthly household income, September 2020
- Milkshakes and grain bars for weight loss whereas whey protein powders/bars for weight gain
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- Figure 57: Interest level* in foods for weight management, by weight management goals, September 2020
Meet the Mintropolitans
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- Striking a balance between indulgence and weight control
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- Figure 58: Dietary habits and impact on weight management, by consumer classification, September 2020
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- Figure 59: Ways to manage body shape, by consumer classification, September 2020
- Milkshakes, protein supplements and grain bars as preferred options
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- Figure 60: Interest level*, by consumer classification, September 2020
- Nutrition knowledge and customised exercising plans are desired
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- Figure 61: Products and services of interest: % ‘very interested’, by consumer classification, September 2020
- Greater attention on body fitness
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- Figure 62: Selected motivations for weight management, by consumer classification, September, 2020
Appendix – Market Size and Forecast
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- Figure 63: Retail value sales of the weight management product market (Billion RMB), China, 2014-25
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Appendix – Methodology and Abbreviations
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- Consumer research methodology
- Abbreviations
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