The New-ism of Rising Stars: Four Shifts Reshaping China's Maternal & Baby Market
China’s maternal and baby market is evolving in ways that go beyond new products and emerging brands. A closer look at the ideas behind these products reveals something more interesting: changing expectations among a new generation of parents.
What do today’s parents really want? Not simply another improved version of an existing product, but solutions that understand their daily routines, address specific concerns and fit naturally into family life.
Through its Rising Stars initiative, CBME has been bringing emerging brands and new product ideas into the spotlight. The products featured in Rising Stars Signal, Vol. 1 offer a useful snapshot of these developments — from highly specific consumer needs to emotional experiences, whole-family lifestyles and more frequent outdoor activities.
Four shifts stand out.
1. From General Solutions to Highly Specific Needs
Consumers are no longer looking only for products that do more. They are looking for products that solve a particular problem, in a particular situation.
A feeding product, for example, may need to accommodate smaller portions, simplify cleaning and fit into a busy daily routine. A pair of children’s shoes may be expected to support natural foot movement rather than simply provide basic protection.
This shift is encouraging brands to look more closely at the details of everyday parenting.
Consider the MR540 steam-and-blend food maker featured in the Rising Stars selection. Designed for babies aged 0–3, it combines steaming and blending in one appliance. Its smaller capacity is intended to suit a baby’s meal portions, while its one-touch cleaning function helps reduce the work involved in preparing food.
Another example comes from the baby-care category. A baby potty cleaner is designed specifically for cleaning children’s potties, rather than adapting a conventional household toilet cleaner. Its plant-based formula and gentle-cleaning positioning reflect a product concept built around a very particular household need.
The same thinking can be seen in children’s footwear. 500CC, a professional children’s footwear brand, develops barefoot shoes around the idea of allowing children’s feet to move more naturally. Features such as a wide toe box, flexible construction and a flat sole are designed to address parents’ concerns about foot movement and comfort.
These examples point to a product development approach that starts with a question: What is the specific problem a family is trying to solve?
For brands, this means that opportunities may lie in overlooked details — a more suitable size, a better-fitting design, an easier cleaning process or a product tailored to a particular stage of a child’s development.
For retailers and distributors, it also creates more ways to build differentiated assortments around specific consumer needs and usage occasions.
2. Beyond Function: The Growing Importance of Emotional Value
A product still needs to work well. But increasingly, how it makes people feel is also part of its value.
In the maternal and baby sector, safety, quality and functionality remain essential. Yet products are also becoming part of how families express their personalities, create memories and connect with one another.
The rise of IP-inspired toys and character-led products offers a clear example.
The brand 芭爪娱 (FIONA), featured in the Rising Stars publication, has built its product concept around plush toys, IP design and lifestyle-inspired collections. Rather than focusing only on the toy itself, the brand uses storytelling, themed displays and collaborations to create experiences around its products.
Its themed collections — including hot pot, barbecue and fruit-garden concepts — turn familiar everyday scenes into playful product ideas. The fruit-garden series, for example, grew from a simple observation: after a hot pot or barbecue meal, people often want some fruit. That everyday moment became the starting point for a collection of products.
The brand’s approach also shows how a product can move beyond the point of purchase. IP content, in-store displays and social media communication help create opportunities for consumers to discover, share and engage with the products.
This is not limited to toys.
MAILEG, a Danish brand known for its storybook-inspired mice and miniature settings, offers products that combine imaginative play with gift and collectible appeal. Its classic mouse character, paired with a matchbox-style bed, creates a small world that encourages storytelling and role play.
The lesson is that emotional value does not replace product functionality. Instead, it adds another layer to the experience.
For brands, design, storytelling, character identity and presentation can help products become more memorable. For buyers, these elements may offer new opportunities to differentiate a product assortment and create stronger connections with consumers.
3. From Baby-Centred Products to Whole-Family Lifestyles
The definition of the maternal and baby consumer is expanding — because the needs of parents do not stop when a child grows older.
Traditional maternal and baby products have often been organised around the baby’s age and developmental stage. But the Rising Stars selection suggests a broader perspective: mothers, fathers and other family members are also important users, not simply the people making purchasing decisions.
This can be seen in products that cross age groups and household roles.
HUANHUSHENG, an original children’s and family clothing brand, develops coordinated collections for parents and children. Its designs use a shared visual language while maintaining different fits and details for each family member. The result is not simply matching outfits, but clothing that reflects a shared family lifestyle while allowing individual expression.
The expansion is also visible in personal care and wellness.
METODAY, for example, focuses on women’s nutritional beauty and wellness, with products designed around the idea of combining nutritional support with an appealing daily experience. Other products featured in the publication address needs such as family nutrition, eye care and skincare across different age groups.
These examples suggest that the consumer journey can extend well beyond the early years of a child’s life.
For brands, this creates an opportunity to rethink product positioning. A company that begins with baby care may find relevant audiences among mothers, fathers and other household members. A children’s brand may also develop products that connect with family activities and shared experiences.
For retailers, a broader view of the family can create more connected product categories and cross-selling opportunities.
The key question is no longer only, “What does the baby need?” It is also, “What does the family need, and how can products become part of its everyday life?”
4. Everyday Outdoor Living: Products Designed to Go Further
Going outdoors is becoming less of an occasional family event and more of a regular part of everyday life.
A trip to the park, the journey to nursery, a weekend by the water or a short family outing all create different demands on products. Parents want products that are easy to carry, comfortable to use and adaptable to changing environments.
The Rising Stars selection features several examples of this more practical approach to outdoor parenting.
For footwear, ROAMER’s summer mesh shoes are designed for different activities, from everyday walking and nursery routines to outdoor play, beaches and water-related settings. Their lightweight construction, breathable mesh upper and flexible outsole are intended to support movement across different environments.
Protection is another important consideration. SMILEYWORL’s children’s sunglasses combine UV protection with playful design and character-inspired visual elements. The product is positioned to address parents’ concerns about sun exposure while also appealing to children’s interest in fun and expressive accessories.
Convenience matters just as much.
The MINI travel stroller featured by 帕奇 (Paqi) focuses on making outings easier for parents. Its lightweight, compact design and multiple-use positioning respond to the practical challenges of travelling with a child and managing everyday transport.
Across these examples, a common product direction emerges: lightweight, portable and adaptable products that make it easier for families to move between everyday settings.
For brands, outdoor parenting is not limited to traditional outdoor equipment. It can influence footwear, clothing, sun protection, strollers, personal care and other categories used throughout the day.
For buyers, this creates opportunities to consider products not only by category, but also by the lifestyle and usage scenarios they serve.
What These Shifts Mean for the Maternal and Baby Industry
The products featured in the Rising Stars selection are diverse, but the thinking behind them reveals several shared directions.
More precise product development: Brands are paying closer attention to specific consumer problems and everyday usage scenarios.
A richer product experience: Functionality remains essential, while design, storytelling and emotional connection add new dimensions of value.
A wider definition of the consumer: Mothers, fathers and other family members are increasingly considered within product and brand strategies.
More connected lifestyle categories: Products are being designed around how families live, travel, play and spend time together.
These observations do not mean that every category is changing at the same pace, or that every emerging idea will become a mainstream trend. But they offer a useful perspective on where brands are exploring new opportunities in China’s maternal and baby market.
For international brands, distributors and retailers, following these developments can help identify new product concepts, understand changing consumer expectations and discover potential directions for future sourcing and cooperation.
