Many Chinese millennials, perceiving themselves to be overworked and stressed due to their busy lifestyles, are increasingly opting for wellness products to boost their self-esteem and ward off any long-term health problems.
According to an in-depth report by China Daily, these younger consumers no longer limit their spending power to clothes, entertainment and gadgets, but also devote some of their income to a range of innovative health products, such as infused tea, vitamin supplements and organic milk.
This, in turn, is spawning a multibillion-dollar industry, which in many ways still adheres to the best of Chinese dietary and lifestyle traditions with an emphasis on ‘inner health’.
“Traditional Eastern philosophy of ‘you are what you eat’ now has a huge influence on the younger generation,” said Tom Zhang, senior engagement manager at Prophet, the global consultancy.
“So, we see post-1990 consumers driving strong growth of food and beverage categories from modern beauty F&B, including F&B products enhanced with beauty functional ingredients such as collagen water, beauty supplements such as skin-whitening pills, to traditional invigorants like bird nest and fish maw,” he added.
The trend follows evidence that the maintenance of good health among young Chinese consumers is not just a matter of perception, but of real concern.
For example, a survey of young people conducted by research firm CBNData in July found that half said they had experienced hair loss and reduced vision, 40% reported being obese with weakened physical ability, while 30% said their immune systems had weakened.
Jason Yu, general manager of Kantar Worldpanel China, agreed that many young people in first-and second-tier cities in China don’t live a healthy lifestyle because of the rapid pace of urban life.
He said more of them are contracting serious diseases and this is forcing them to take more care about their health, especially as social media has amplified young people’s anxiety, while COVID-19 has forced them to attach more importance to immunity.
As Zhang of Prophet explained: “Growing up in a more developed China, the young generation prefers a more relaxing lifestyle, which leads to a greater emphasis on health and well-being.
“But for this generation, they increasingly believe that ‘inner health’ is the foundations of ‘outer beauty’, one of the most important assets to move them forward in life.”
Sourced from China Daily
