In a 618 (June 18th sale event in China) without a “presale system,” for sellers, it means the absence of reference data. They must have a stronger inventory management ability and the capability to forecast market demand to avoid stockpiling or stockouts of goods.
So, in this year’s unique 618 shopping festival, which maternal and baby products can stand out and achieve both popularity and sales?
CBME attempt to predict and discuss potential best-selling maternal and baby products during 618 from the perspective of the summer needs of maternal and children’s consumers, combined with current market trends. This year, green maternal and baby consumption is also expected to emerge as a guiding trend that shapes both product design and consumer preference.
Colorful children’s swimwear
Alibaba by analyzing related category search and transaction data within Taobao found that trends such as swimming, surfing, snorkeling, beachcombing, and rafting are highly popular. The payment conversion rate for disposable towels reached 35%-40%, and for swimming goggles, it hit 30%-35%. The search popularity for water play equipment has surged by 351% compared to the previous period.
In this context, the children’s swimwear market saw new attention. Last summer, a TikTok video about swimwear color and safety went viral. The creator suggested neon, red, pink, or orange suits for safety. Blue or light blue should be avoided in pools. Many viewers said they had never heard this before. The video raised awareness of color visibility in water.
Based on this, many cross-border sellers have already been paying attention to the color of children’s swimwear, a trend that is also somewhat reflected in the content pushed on TikTok’s children’s swimwear videos.
On domestic social platforms, there are many discussions on topics like “What color swimwear is safer for swimming?” With the further promotion by social media, this level of awareness will naturally increase. Sellers can pay attention to the trend of safety swimwear for children and selectively stock up.
For sellers, this information point can also be used for scientific safety education for consumers, establishing consumer mindshare and enhancing service stickiness.
Comfortable and stylish hard sun protection gear
Spring and summer are the peak seasons for sun protection category consumption. Soft sun protection “sunscreen skin care products” should seize the “golden March and silver April” consumption peak, while hard sun protection “sun protection clothes/guards, etc.” are in high demand when summer arrives in May and June.
The Cicada Magic Cube report shows that consumer demand for sun protection products is continuously upgrading, gradually moving from basic sun protection functions to multiple effects and comfort. Therefore, for hard sun protection products such as sun protection clothing, cooling technology and comfort are key considerations. In addition to ensuring sufficient protective effect, wearing comfort and the aesthetic appearance are also important factors.
As sustainability becomes a stronger value among families, green maternal and baby consumption is driving demand for sun protection products made with eco-friendly materials or recyclable packaging, especially among health-conscious parents.
Appetite-stimulating children’s snacks and supplementary food
The scorching summer always gives rise to a consumer demand for foods that relieve summer heat and invigorate the spleen and appetite.
Recently, the “Black Plum Soup 2.0 version” released by the Zhejiang Provincial Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine became an internet sensation once again. This “Black Plum and Lotus Leaf Drink,” which combines traditional Chinese medicinal wisdom with modern tastes, sold 1.15 million sachets within just 24 hours of its launch. Notably, among the consumers who placed orders, over 80% were young consumers aged between 20 and 35.
This reflects the rise of health consciousness among the new generation of consumers. In terms of snacks, their choices are shifting from purely taste-driven to health-conscious ones. With the rise of national culture, those categories that cater to the health direction of food and medicine homology and Chinese-style nourishment have become the new favorites among consumers.
This successful case undoubtedly brings inspiration to sellers of baby snacks—-
While pursuing taste, they focus on the health value of products, especially those that integrate with Chinese traditional culture and Chinese parenting wisdom. For example, soup ingredients, tea beverages, purees, conditioning pastes, and nutritional powders containing hawthorn, gizzard shad, sea buckthorn, tangerine peel, Poria cocos, malt, and other ingredients may be favored by consumers this summer.
Health-focused snacks that emphasize clean ingredients and sustainability are also being recognized as part of the broader green maternal and baby consumption trend, where parents seek nutritious yet eco-conscious food choices for their children.
Continuously updated summer cooling and mosquito repellent products
Alibaba’s analysis found that according to Taobao’s search data, children’s mosquito repellent pants and bamboo sleep sacks for babies had an interaction volume of 410,000, and the transactions had significantly increased. Products like toddler short sleeves and mosquito repellent bracelets stood out, becoming hot industry terms. Additionally, Cicada Magic Cube data shows that in May, the sales of baby cool mats and baby mosquito nets increased by 604.36% and 169.4% on Douyin, respectively, showing the rapid growth of the cooling products market.
Mosquitoes Create a Billion-Yuan Market
Human joys and sorrows are not intercommunicated unless they are all confronted with mosquitoes. However, the small, despised mosquitoes can also create a market worth billion. According to statistical data, by 2024, the retail market for mosquito repellent and insecticide in China is expected to reach 12.006 billion yuan. Among them, mosquito repellent pants have become a rising must-have item in summer children’s clothing in recent years.
On current social platforms, the information about mosquito repellent pants has been widely spread through multiple channels. In terms of material, mosquito repellent pants usually use light and breathable fabrics and incorporate special mosquito repellent technology, touted as “walking mosquito repellent.” In design, mosquito repellent pants also show diverse characteristics, with loose styles suitable for sports and tight styles suitable for daily wear, meeting the diverse needs of different parents and children.
Of course, whether it is cool mats, mosquito nets, or mosquito repellent products, their steep sales growth curves cannot do without the push of product iteration and updates.
In the cool mat field, bamboo mats, straw mats, rattan mats, leather mats, imitation rattan mats, ice silk mats, and cooling mats emerge in endlessly; traditional mosquito nets are constantly innovating, launching various styles such as suction ceiling and foldable no-installation, some even incorporating mosquito repellent drug ingredients; as for mosquito repellent products, new products like mosquito repellent bracelets, stickers, and clasp are not only convenient to carry but also attract “gold” with their high-value appearance design.
Environmentally friendly materials and reusable packaging have also become product features that resonate with green maternal and baby consumption, particularly for items in close contact with babies’ skin.
Foldable or strong storage travel gear
“Plums turn yellow when the sunny days linger, and the mountain journey ends as the stream wanes.” The increasingly popular “cultural tourism wind,” “study tour wind,” “camping wind,” and “picnic wind” provide parents with more new options for summer parent-child travel. The diversification of travel scenarios makes the travel needs and product demands of young parents more diverse.
During long trips, portable folding strollers are preferred. Adjustable and safe designs meet transport restrictions and avoid size issues. For camping and picnics, parents need to carry many baby and child items. Lightweight travel gear with strong storage capacity is more popular. These products offer both convenience and space. Accessories further improve the travel experience. Cool pads, sunshades, and mosquito nets add practical value. Magnetic window shades and clip-on fans bring comfort. With functional design and real use, such products are becoming the season’s unexpected “dark horses.”
Designs that reduce waste, fold efficiently, and use durable, recyclable materials also reflect the values of green maternal and baby consumption, aligning with parents’ pursuit of sustainable family travel.
Increasingly noticed children’s sunglasses
Children’s sunglasses might also become a hot-selling item in the market this summer.
After all, for a long time, children’s sunglasses were mostly “no-brand cheap products” located in small stalls or accessory shops in tourist areas, posing certain safety risks. With the increase in safety awareness and knowledge reserves among the new generation of parents born in the 1980s and 1990s, specialized sunglasses for children of different age groups have emerged as a “new essential” for summer travel with children, spurring the entry of a host of brands and quickly educating the market.
In this 618 without a “presale system,” without data reference, it is difficult to find new growth points. Relying solely on simple price wars no longer works. Superficial marketing tactics are also ineffective. On the contrary, businesses need to focus on actual consumer behavior. They must listen to the real voices of consumers. They need to understand consumer needs and expectations. Only in this way can they discover real growth opportunities. Not just during this shopping festival, but also in everyday business ahead. For forward-looking brands, this is a key shift. Embracing green maternal and baby consumption is essential. It meets rising sustainability demands from consumers. It also builds long-term competitiveness in the market.
