Recently, Chan Mama in collaboration with Chan Magic Cube released the “Douyin E-Commerce Maternity and Baby Industry Analysis Report.” The report focuses on the specific performance of four sub-categories: baby supplies, milk powder/supplementary food/snacks/nutritional products, baby diapers, and maternity and nutrition products. It explores market opportunities from the angles of sales trends and dissection of selling points.
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Market Overview: Scientific Parenting Trends
Generation Z Parenting has become a new force in the maternity and baby market, and a shift in parenting concepts is driving industry upgrades.
From January to November 2024, the Douyin maternity and baby industry interest group was primarily concentrated in the 24–30 age range, followed by 18–23 year-olds. The post-95s and post-00s generations, representing Generation Z, have emerged as a new clientele in the maternity and baby market.
Amid changes in consumer demographics and enhanced consumption levels, parenting concepts have evolved from traditional extensive methods to refined, scientific parenting approaches. This shift is advancing the baby products market towards specialization, refinement, and high-quality development, bringing both opportunities and challenges.
Overall market demand is on the upswing, and promotional events inject new vitality.
From January to November 2024, although the number of goods sold in Douyin’s maternity and baby industry slightly declined year-on-year, sales volume and market size increased by 25% and 35%, respectively.
In an era of quality consumption, consumers have become more discerning, and the trend towards sophisticated consumption is on the rise. Vendors need to ensure product strength to enhance core competitiveness.
Considering market size trends, demand within the maternity and baby market shows an overall positive trajectory. Driven by consumers’ stockpiling mindset, promotional events like 618 and Double 11 significantly boost market vitality. Vendors should focus on these promotional periods, leveraging strategies like pre-sales marketing and giving additional gifts to achieve definitive sales breakthroughs
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Key Growth Categories in the Baby Products Market
Baby Products
Under the concept of refined parenting, the baby products market is expanding across multiple sub-categories. These include washing and care, feeding, travel, and sleep. Among them, baby skincare, bath products, and food prep appliances lead in market size. These categories have become the core drivers of growth in baby products.
In response to demand for children’s fashion shows and stage performances, the market for children’s cosmetics is becoming a potential trendsetter, with category growth reaching 1,200%+ year-on-year.
However, the children’s makeup market is still immature, with product safety and regulatory compliance often under debate. If merchants aim to seize opportunities for long-term development, a focus on professionalism and quality is imperative.
Target Demographics and Usage Scenarios
Looking at the target demographic, products are mainly tailored for children, newborns, and babies. Teenagers also hold a significant share of the market. There is a difference in the primary effects advertised for different age groups. For baby washing and care products, effects like moisturizing and hydrating are key. For teenagers, oil control and acne prevention are more emphasized.
For products like baby bottles that cater primarily to babies, consumers tend to focus on safety features like anti-colic, drop resistance, and choke prevention.
Regarding usage scenarios, home and outdoor are the two mainstream ones. Therefore, products that are lightweight, portable, compact, and flexible hold the upper hand.
When refining selling points, merchants should focus on “scenario-people-pain points” to accurately explore the diversified needs of different demographics in various scenarios to precisely reach potential consumers.
Milk Powder / Supplementary Food / Snacks / Nutritional Products
The baby nutrition market is vast and continuously growing, with baby supplementary food becoming increasingly significant.
Baby nutritional products cover the entire lifecycle of a child’s development, with category education and user awareness relatively mature. This leads to substantial market scale and continuous growth—making it a star track under the milk powder/supplementary food/snacks/nutritional products segment.
Baby supplementary food’s importance in daily baby diets is growing, ranking in the market size’s top three and becoming the undisputed “baby’s second meal.”
With the trend toward specialization, specific nutritional needs, such as for premature babies or those with allergies, are gaining attention. Special formula milk powders are also being noted.
The audience demonstrates segmented characteristics; precise nutrition and quality assurance are core demands.
The “age and stage-based” feeding concept has gained wide acceptance. The target demographic for milk powder/supplementary food/snacks/nutritional products shows distinct segmentation. Notably, in some basic baby nutritional products like calcium, iron, and zinc, merchants use the selling point of being suitable for both babies and pregnant women, presenting the advantage of “dual-purpose” to attract consumer attention.
In terms of ingredients, consumers pay close attention to high calcium, lactoferrin, and probiotics. As for functional effects, products that offer benefits like calcium supplementation, good absorption, and protective eye care are popular.
Additionally, products meeting new national standards and those that are originally imported are favored by consumers. Precise nutrition and quality assurance are the core concerns of consumers within this category.
Baby Diapers
Clothing items dominate, with breastfeeding pillows and related products showing high growth.
The market for maternity and nutritional products is primarily centered around clothing items. The top three categories are nursing bras/panties/checkup pants, dresses for pregnant women, and pants that support or cover the belly.
Archetype products reflect significant growth, with the comfort and convenience of breastfeeding pillows leading the trend.
Expecting mothers, while focusing on their child’s health, are also paying more attention to their own physical and emotional well-being.
Balancing convenience, comfort, style, and function—fashion and practicality are equally important.
In terms of functional effects, features like preventing sagging, containing side breasts, and lifting are consumer favorites, mainly concentrated in the nursing bra category—reflecting the high consumer interest in postpartum body shape recovery and management.
In terms of scenarios, breastfeeding dominates. Thus, when selecting clothing, consumers tend to focus on the products’ convenience and comfort, opting for items with features like plus-size, loose fitting, second-skin feel, and elasticity.
Furthermore, in addition to convenience and comfort, products that offer a fashionable and stylish look are also popular among consumers.
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