Table of Contents
Executive Summary
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- The market
- Baby nutrition market maintains steady growth
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- Figure 2: Best- and worst-case forecast of total value sales of baby nutrition market, China, 2013-23
- IMF dominates while other categories drive growth
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- Figure 3: Value share of baby nutrition segments, China, 2018
- Companies and brands
- Connect with home cooking parents
- Technology advancements meet demand for better nutrition
- Testing kit and customised nutrition plan become reality
- The consumer
- Most concerned with digestion problems
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- Figure 4: Concerns about feeding babies, December 2018
- Baby health supplements assuming more crucial role
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- Figure 5: Penetration of baby nutrition products, December 2018
- Higher price-sensitivity towards baby supplementary food
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- Figure 6: Price-sensitivity, by product category, December 2018
- Unsure about functions and necessities of baby health supplements
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- Figure 7: Difficulties in buying baby health supplements, December 2018
- Multi-nutrition is of highest demand
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- Figure 8: Expectation of new product, December 2018
- Struggling yet eager to learn
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- Figure 9: Attitudes towards baby feeding, December 2018
- What we think
Issues and Insights
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- Advocate gut health but avoid homogeneous competition
- The facts
- The implications
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- Figure 10: Example of how baby probiotics products are claiming formula distinctiveness
- Figure 11: Examples of baby food claiming digestive health, Global, 2018-19
- Assuming more active role in relieving parents’ bewilderment
- The facts
- The implications
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- Figure 12: Example of packaged baby cereals product labelling its necessity on its packaging, China, 2018
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- Figure 13: Examples of parenting programmes sponsored by baby nutrition brands, China
- Figure 14: Danke Parenting’s paid membership programme ‘New Mom Curriculum’
- More baby food categories can tap into on-the-go occasions
- The facts
- The implications
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- Figure 15: Baby food claiming convenience on the go, Global, 2018
The Market – What You Need to Know
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- Category continues marginal growth
- Awaiting guidelines on baby health supplements
- Prevalence of baby supplementary food with fortified nutrition
Market Size and Forecast
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- Steady growth expected despite declining birth rate
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- Figure 16: Best- and worst-case forecast of total value sales of baby nutrition market, China, 2013-23
Market Factors
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- Baby health supplements calling for regulation
- Synergy of mother and baby e-commerce and social community
- Rising importance of digital media in educating young parents
Market Segmentation
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- Dominance of infant milk formula
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- Figure 17: Value share of baby nutrition segments, China, 2018
- Baby supplementary food claims more on fortified nutrition
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- Figure 18: Claims of newly launched baby food (without IMF), China, 2016-18
- Figure 19: Claims of fortified nutrition among new launches of baby food (IMF excluded), Global, 2016-18
- Baby health supplements have big potential to grow in size
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- Figure 20: Sales value and growth rate of baby nutrition, by segment, China, 2016-18
Key Players – What You Need to Know
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- Packaged baby food manufacturers are tapping into home cooking occasions
- Overseas baby food brands seek better nutrition retention rate through technology upgrade
- Technology companies try to provide personalised nutrition plan based on easy testing
Competitive Strategies
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- More brands are targeting gut health to take up extra revenue
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- Figure 21: Examples of new providers of baby probiotics, China
- Figure 22: Percentage of newly launched baby food with prebiotics or probiotics claims, China, 2014-18
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- Figure 23: Examples of baby food containing prebiotics or probiotics, China, 2018-19
- International brands of baby health supplements utilise e-commerce channel to grow business
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- Figure 24: Top 10 items on e-commerce platforms* (based on value sales), China, 2018
- Targeting self-cooking moms
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- Figure 25: Example of brand-sponsored baby food cooking programme
- Launch more organic products to meet demand for premiumisation
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- Figure 26: New launches in baby food category (without IMF) with claim on organic, China, 2015-18
- Figure 27: Examples of baby food made of organic grains, Global, 2018
Who’s Innovating?
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- Freeze-dried and cold-pressed to preserve nutrition
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- Figure 28: New launches of baby food with freeze-dried technology, Global, 2017-18
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- Figure 29: New launches of baby food with cold-pressed technology, Global, 2017
- Formula ingredients used in other baby food
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- Figure 30: Baby food products with fortified lactalbumin or lactoferrin, China
- Easy detection opens up opportunities for customised nutrition plan
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- Figure 31: And All DNA test kit
- Figure 32: Biostime breast milk analysis kit
- Baby nutrition products with fun elements
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- Figure 33: Examples of baby health supplements with fun elements, Global, 2017
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- Figure 34: Examples of baby pastas with interesting shapes, Global, 2018
The Consumer – What You Need to Know
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- More concerned with insufficient nutrition intake
- Doubts in necessities and efficacies of baby health supplements
- Struggling baby feeders constitutes big proportion
Problem with Feeding
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- Digestion problems perplex two thirds of parents
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- Figure 35: Concerns about feeding babies, December 2018
- Poor immunity likely to occur at weaning stage
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- Figure 36: Concerns about feeding babies, by age of youngest child, December 2018
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- Figure 37: ChildLife’s ‘troika’ with simple and clear massaging in its communications
- Picky eating deserves more attention at an early age
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- Figure 38: Concerns about feeding babies, by age of the youngest child, December 2018
Category Penetration
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- Baby health supplements are becoming essential
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- Figure 39: Penetration of baby nutrition products, December 2018
- Baby supplementary food could serve feeding training purpose
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- Figure 40: Penetration of baby supplementary food categories, by problems parents had with baby feeding, December 2018
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- Figure 41: Examples of baby supplementary food that serve training purpose, Global, 2017-19
- Starting age as early as 6 months for most categories
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- Figure 42: Penetration of baby nutrition products, by age of youngest child, December 2018
Price Sensitivity
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- More price-sensitive about baby supplementary food
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- Figure 43: Price-sensitivity, by product category, December 2018
- Parents of babies aged 13-24 months give precedence to baby health supplements
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- Figure 44: Consumers who would continue to buy the same amount of their preferred brand when facing price increase, by age of youngest child, December 2018
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- Figure 45: Consumer segmentation, by age of youngest child, December 2018
Attitudes towards Baby Health Supplements
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- Baffled by too many brands
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- Figure 46: Difficulties in buying baby health supplements, December 2018
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- Figure 47: Difficulties in buying baby health supplements, by age, December 2018
- Unfamiliarity with their function poses bigger problem
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- Figure 48: Percentage of consumers who would hold off buying health supplements in times of price increase, by attitudes towards health supplements, December 2018
- Figure 49: Selected attitudes towards baby health supplements, by household income, December 2018
- Taste acceptable to babies is important
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- Figure 50: New launches of baby health supplements of different flavours, Global, 2016-18
Expectation of New Products
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- Rich nutritional content is of first priority
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- Figure 51: Expectation of new product, December 2018
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- Figure 52: Examples of fresh fruits used in baby supplementary food, Global, 2019
- Organic and traceable source attract more parents born in post 1980s
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- Figure 53: Interest in organic and traceable source, by generation, December 2018
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- Figure 54: Gerber’s pop-up plantation in Beijing
- Demand for on-the-go convenience
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- Figure 55: Interest in convenient packaging for out-of-home consumption, by household income and region, December 2018
- Special product design welcomed by post 1990s parents
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- Figure 56: Expectation of new product, by generation, December 2018
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- Figure 57: Examples of baby food with special packaging design, Global, 2018-19
Attitudes towards Baby Feeding
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- Strong willingness to share and learn
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- Figure 58: Attitudes towards baby feeding, December 2018
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- Figure 59: Examples of membership incentives provided by baby nutrition brands
- Wavering between packaged products and homemade meals
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- Figure 60: Percentage of parents who neither agree nor disagree with the statement “Packaged baby food and/or drinks are not as healthy as homemade”, by age, December 2018
Consumer Segments
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- Three segments of consumers
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- Figure 61: Consumer segments segmented on attitudes towards baby nutrition, December 2018
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- Figure 62: Attitudes towards baby nutrition, by consumer segments, December 2018
- Bewildered Strugglers
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- Figure 63: Interest in functional product claims, by consumer segments, December 2018
- Watchful Guardians
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- Figure 64: Interest in ingredient-related product claims, by consumer segments, December 2018
- Laissez Faire Feeders
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- Figure 65: Category penetration, by consumer segments, December 2018
Meet the Mintropolitans
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- Fewer Laissez Faire Feeders
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- Figure 66: Consumer segmentation, by consumer classification, December 2018
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- Figure 67: Percentage of neither agree nor disagree with the following statements, by consumer classification, December 2018
- Higher expectation of educational benefits
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- Figure 68: Expectation of new products, by consumer classification, December 2018
- MinTs still worry about possible side effects of baby health supplements
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- Figure 69: Attitudes towards baby health supplements, by consumer classification, December 2018
Appendix – Market Size and Forecast
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- Figure 70: Total market value of baby nutrition, China, 2013-23
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Appendix – Market Segmentation
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- Figure 71: Retail value sales of baby nutrition segments, China, 2013-23
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Appendix – Methodology and Abbreviations
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- Methodology
- Fan chart forecast
- Abbreviations
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