To drum up sales volume, China’s annual Double 11 shopping festival kicked off particularly early this year on Oct. 14. According to Syntun, the Gross Merchandise Volume (GMV) of this year’s shopping spree totaled more than 1.44 trillion yuan with a 26.6% year-on-year (YoY) growth. When it comes to the performance of e-commerce platforms, comprehensive e-commerce (excluding Taobao Live) reached an impressive turnover of 1.11 trillion yuan, up by 20.1% YoY. Tmall, JD.com, and Pinduoduo ranked top three. In terms of live-streaming e-commerce, it skyrocketed by 54.6% YoY to 332.5 billion yuan, with Douyin scoring the No.1, and Kuaishou and Taobao Live  followed.

Notes: The YoY growth is based on the promotion cycle in 2023(from Oct.24 to Nov.11) and 2024 (from Oct. 14 to Nov. 11).

Landscape of Beauty Brands on Comprehensive E-commerce Platforms

According to Syntun, beauty products gained an overall GMV of 96.3 billion yuan and accounted for 8.2% of the total sales on comprehensive e-commerce platforms (including Taobao Live), reflecting a 22.5% YoY increase. In general, foreign brands have taken up a considerable share of the beauty market while Chinese domestic brands gaining traction.

For the specific category, skin care products saw 71.5 billion yuan in sales. China’s domestic brand Proya had the most share on both Tmall and JD.com, outperforming international longstanding brands like L'Oréal, Estée Lauder, and Lancôme.

Looking at makeup and perfume, their GMV hit 23.7 billion yuan with international dominance Yves Saint Laurent securing the first position on Tmall and JD.com. It is notable that Chinese domestic brands Timage, a sub-brand of Proya, claimed the third place on Tmall and Carslan the second on JD.com. They continued their remarkable performance after earning a place in the Tmall top 5 makeup and perfume list of the 2023 Double 11 festival.

China’s Beauty Consumption Trends

The shopping spree remains an optimal source for observing China’s beauty product consumption dynamics.

Skincare brands are expanding their product portfolios and enhancing product efficacy to meet consumers’ diverse and evolving needs. For instance, Proya has enhanced the efficacy of its flagship "Morning C, Night A" series while introducing new lines, including oily skin care, brightening products, sunscreens, and premium anti-aging solutions, etc. These efforts aim to align its offerings with the increasingly diverse preferences of consumers. It’s also noticeable that beyond mainstream efficacy like hydration, brightening, and anti-aging, the demand for sensitive skin repair is steadily gaining momentum. Botanee’s skincare brand Winona focuses on providing professional skincare solutions for consumers with sensitive skin in China. Its products, such as anti-sensitive moisturizing tolerance extreme cream to help soothe and relieve skin and restore the skin’s barrier, are popular among skin-sensitive consumers.

In the makeup sector, brands aim to appeal to consumers by enriching the effects and image of their products. Some brands highlight the skin-care effects of their makeup, including moisturizing and nourishing functions. It is claimed that the Re-Nutriv foundation of Estée Lauder is powerfully infused with advanced skincare technology to leave skin supple, flawless, and dewy for 12 hours. Byredo builds the meaning of products on commemorating selfless and independent women in history. It intends to resonate with customers by celebrating their qualities and spirits. Meanwhile, a raft of beauty brands have launched co-branded products with IP from the field of games, literary works, TV series, and so on to catch consumers’ attention.

Food and Beverages’ Performance on Comprehensive E-commerce Platforms

Based on the data from Syntun, the overall GMV of food and beverages amounted to 64 billion yuan, rising by 11.6% YoY with a 5.4% proportion of total sales on comprehensive e-commerce platforms.

Sales of health functional food attained 16.4 billion yuan, accounting for more than 25.6% of total food and beverage sales, which reflected customers’ high health consciousness. The top two best-sellers went to Australia’s prestigious brand Swisse and Chinese established one ByHealth on both Tmall and JD.com.

With a huge economic potential, pet food achieved a 5.9 billion yuan turnover and a fast-paced YoY rise of 22.92% during the Double 11 shopping festival. It is evident that Chinese home brands excel in this year’s festival given the fact that there are only two international brands entering into the top 5 on JD.com and imported ones all dropped out of the top 5 on Tmall.

China’s Food Consumption Trends

The food industry represents several consumption highlights as well. The boosted health awareness drives consumers to shift their preference towards healthy snacks, making low-sugar, low-fat and free-from-additive food sought-after. For example, the low-calorie series of Three Squirrels had an outstanding performance during this festival.

What’s more, instant food has picked up in sales during the promotion period. From self-heating hot pots and quick-frozen food to instant noodles and precooked meals, these ready-to-serve foods became popular as their unique flavor and convenience won over stay-at-home foodies. One of the best-selling products in the instant food category is Haohuanluo's luosifen, a regional specialty rice noodle known for its odorous smell yet delicious taste.

In addition, consumers are ready to search for foods of various types and from different regions, which are accessible in part owing to improved life and thriving e-commerce. Specialties, such as flower cakes from South Yunnan provenience and raisins from Xinjiang in northwest China, and imported foods including chocolates, cookies, and wines, have gained momentum.

Another highlight lies in functional food. With a scientific formula and strict production process, it helps consumers supplement nutrients and enhance wellness. As such, health food, like probiotics, protein powder, and vitamin gummies soared in sales during the shopping spree.

Disclaimer: The image used in the article is from the Internet.