The following article was originally published by Number 1 Business Data Center.
Sources: https://mp.weixin.qq.com/s/SySTyIUwDlnl9_msjnDfQQ
The total revenue of China’s comprehensive health industry in 2024 is projected to reach 9 trillion Yuan and will continue to expand, with hopes to reach 29.1 trillion Yuan by 2030.
In 2024, consumers’ demands for health continue to rise and evolve.According to the “Health Industry Consumer Trend Development Report” released by the China Consumers Association, the total revenue of China’s comprehensive health industry in 2024 is expected to reach 9 trillion Yuan and will continue to expand, with hopes to reach 29.1 trillion Yuan by 2030. At the same time, consumers have new cognitions regarding health management: from the smooth functioning of bodily organs to the stable and positive state of mental and emotional well-being, health is no longer confined to the goal of “not being sick”, but is gradually becoming a lifestyle integrated into details.
However, the fast-paced modern life does not leave consumers many healthy choices, and how to reap greater health returns in a shorter time has become a new proposition for the supply side. Against this background, CBNData released the “2024 New Health Consumption Lifestyle Trend Report”, fully exploring the development direction of the health industry by focusing on new heatwaves of health consumption, the portrayal of the “new lightweight year” demographic, and new trends in health consumption.
Higher Production ratio, Stronger Experience：Light-health becomes the New Trend
Compared to daily consumption, health consumption has a certain investment nature, which determines that consumers expect and pursue future returns in addition to the need for immediate good experience. CBNData research shows that 62.5% of respondents aim to gain the best health return with the least resource input.
These resources include but are not limited to time, money, energy, learning costs, and potential social impact opportunity costs, and the anxiety generated by the production ratio has become one of the pain points of consumer health consumption.
Another factor influencing health consumption is the sense of experience. 69.5% of respondents stated that in order to persist in a healthy lifestyle for a long time, the whole process must be enjoyable and comfortable. Attributes like low entry barrier, light burden, and positive experiences have become one of the significant values in health consumption.
The pursuit of production ratios and emphasis on the experience are the two main characteristics of “light health”, and this preference has penetrated all age groups, with the post-90s demographic being the most notable, becoming the main force of “light health management”. As the main productive and consuming force in society, the “new lightweight year” demographic are often not directly faced with major disease issues but are more likely to be plagued by sub-health problems such as emotions, memory, and gastro-intestinal issues, and these chronic problems rely on daily exercise and diet for improvement. Thus, the mild health approach of nurturing healthy habits painlessly and preventatively is greatly favored.
Specifically, in various consumption scenarios, whether it is the balanced adjustment of daily diet, the exploration and transformation of ways to exercise, or the organic combination of traditional Chinese health-preserving and modern technology, reflect consumers’ efforts to achieve harmony between health and life amid the fast-paced lifestyle.
Health Management Lightness Everywhere：Understanding the 6 Major Consumer Trends
Overall, consumers with stronger demands and a better understanding of health show the following six major health consumption trends: light-nutrition with calorie control, high-performance sports, Chinese-style slow health preservation, subtle emotional healing, urban short escapes, and digital black technology.
(1) Light-nutrition with Calorie Control: Achieving Light Enjoyment of Health as Part of Life
With the relationship between health and diet being popularized among the public, concepts like low-calorie, low-fat, low-salt, low-sugar, low-oil have taken root in people’s hearts, and the concept of dietary supplements is also accepted. 69% of interviewed respondents told CBNData that they would consciously reduce unhealthy components and increase the intake of beneficial nutrients in their daily diet. Furthermore, balanced nutrition, healthy ingredients, and weight management have become the main drivers for consumers to choose health foods.
Beyond regular meals, snacking scenarios have also become an opportunity point for businesses to seek incremental growth. CBNData found that over the last year, nut gift boxes have surpassed other snacks to become the first choice for gifts, which is also an embodiment of gifting health.
At the same time, the healthification of snacks themselves has also become a key direction for category innovation breakthrough.
On one hand, the rise of content commerce has made it easier for brands known for popularization and educational content to be seen by consumers; on the other, products addressing consumer pain points and meeting niche demands often help brands further occupy mind-share, and more diverse flavor and texture innovations also help attract consumer attention.
(2) High-performance Sports: Comfort and Light-weighting as the Highest Priority
2024, as a big year for sports, will see multiple international competitions unfold in the summertime. The popularity of sports events, their dominance in trending searches, and the influence of sports stars have made a more inclusive sports culture accepted by the masses. Exercise is no longer confined to a type or place but has become more diverse and interesting, encompassing fitness, social, and entertainment attributes. The public’s perception of sports has also become more comprehensive and scientific, with high-performance sports becoming the choice of urban dwellers.
As the sports economy rises further, consumption centered around the sports lifestyle is also seeing continuous growth. From more comfortable and fitting, lightweight and portable sportswear, to functionally professional and design-focused lightweight sports equipment, consumers will fully match their efficient sports needs when choosing related products. Beyond apparel and equipment, functional beverage tracks have also entered a period of rapid expansion due to the rise of the sports lifestyle.
(3) Chinese-style Slow Health Preservation: From Physical Therapy to Medicinal Cuisine, the “Chinese Vein” Awakens
Chinese-style health preservation is integrating into young people’s daily life in various forms. From traditional Chinese medical therapies to everyday medicinal cuisines like healthy drinks, to traditional Chinese exercises like the Eight-Section Brocade, young people ambitious to ‘unroll’ begin to believe in the Eastern power of ‘taking it slow to go fast.’
Taking “Chinese-style health drinks” which grew by 18% year-on-year in MAT2024 online sales as an example, traditional Chinese ingredients like adzuki beans, mung beans, goji berries, and dates, have become popular concepts. More than seventy percent of the respondents indicated that a clean and natural ingredient list and multifaceted functionality to meet individual needs are important selling points of such products.
(4) Subtle Emotional Healing: If You Also Have a “Subtle Syndrome”
Health is not limited to physical hardware; more and more people realize that emotional state is also an important part of health. The “subtle syndrome” on social media has also emerged accordingly, from the explosive popularity of “Tunmen” to the mania of “Light People,” “going crazy in subtlety” has become the “most beautiful mental state” for the contemporary young people.
The willingness of consumers who pursuit emotional value to pay for emotional products is not to be underestimated, with 36% of respondents indicating they would purchase products that provide emotional value when improving health issues.
The most typical category representative is the perfume and fragrance linked to “healing functions”, with Chinese incense, fragrance diffuser liquids, essential oils, fragrant pastes, and handmade soaps/essential oil soaps all becoming sub-trend products with high online sales volume and year-on-year growth rate.
(5) Urban Short Escape: Letting the Spirit Take a Short Leave to Find Meaning in Life
The fast-paced urban life exhausts one both physically and mentally. Beyond the body and emotions, the health of the spiritual world also needs care. For contemporary youth, the value of the “20-minutes in the park effect” is still increasing; nothing is more efficient than a one-or-two-day short escape plan for “removing the office smell”. Nearly half of the respondents said that they would frequently engage in short-term activities (once a week), using the weekly “escape” as a spiritual “charging station,” with outdoor nature and slow urban travel being the two main preference scenarios.
(6) Digital Black Technology: AI Diagnosis, Cyber Traditional Chinese Medicine, Penetrating the Application Side
With the development of the digital economy, cutting-edge technologies such as big data, the internet, AI, telecommunications, and blockchain applications in the medical field continue to deepen.
Specifically, the Internet+ medical care primarily improves efficiency and optimizes processes in the treatment experience; big data + medical care promotes the interchange of information, making it convenient for patients to receive cross-regional treatment; artificial intelligence is mainly used in scenarios such as AI-assisted diagnostics, improving the efficiency of initial diagnosis… These technologies cover the full process from diagnosis, treatment to health management, bringing new opportunities to the medical and health industries.
Beyond traditional medical scenarios, lighter “black tech” applications are also popular among young people. “AI + Traditional Chinese Medicine” has become a new dark horse, from AI diagnosis to smart Traditional Chinese Medicine, to cyber Traditional Chinese Medicine, the contrast of traditional versus future sparks exceptional consumer interest and attention.
Summary
Health management is a lifelong pursuit, which also determines that comprehensive health consumption is inevitably a high-quality track worth long-term attention and investment. In CBNData’s view, the consumers’ dual pursuit of the return on investment and the quality of experience, the “new lightweight year” consumer main force represented by the post-90s generation, the all-encompassing health lifestyle built on diverse scenarios, and the wave of digital medical innovation driven by technology collectively sketch the current landscape of comprehensive health consumption in China. Additionally, a more human-centric and richer variety of products and services will be the direction in which enterprises need to continue to invest in the future.
Keywords:
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