Cracking the China Opportunity: Wellness, E-Commerce & Emerging Niches in 2025
As global wellness demand surges, China remains one of the most exciting and high-growth markets for health, beauty, and lifestyle brands. At NOPEX 2025, Bolst Global sat down with APAC expert Zarina to discuss how overseas businesses can tap into China’s dynamic e-commerce scene, and we’ve combined those insights with recent data from WPIC to offer a fuller picture of where the opportunities lie in 2025.
The Rise of Digital-First Wellness Consumers
If one thing’s clear, it’s this: China is digital-first, always. Consumers don’t just shop online, they live there.
Key platforms like Tmall, JD.com and Douyin dominate the ecommerce landscape, and livestream shopping now accounts for over 25% of all online sales. Douyin alone has 600M+ daily users, making it a major discovery and conversion channel for wellness brands.
China E-commerce Market Share 2024
Chinese consumers are:
Wellness Categories with High Growth
Zarina highlighted that the supplement market in China is already worth $17 billion, and growing fast. Data from WPIC supports this with broader projections:
Standout categories include:
Holistic Wellness & Functional Trends
Chinese wellness consumers aren’t just looking for “fixes.” They’re focused on holistic, daily wellness routines. WPIC data shows impressive growth in:
This shift aligns with China’s rising outdoor and fitness culture, where sportswear and sun-protective fashion are booming sub-segments.
Growth Rate of New Notes Related to Sports & Outdoor Activities (2023)
Don’t Underestimate Beauty-from-Within
The biggest takeaway? Beauty and wellness are converging. In both Zarina’s insights and WPIC’s data, there’s a clear trend toward:
Beauty E-commerce Landscape
Key Takeaways for Exporters
An e-commerce-first strategy is now essential for brands looking to succeed in China, particularly with the meteoric rise of platforms like Douyin transforming how consumers discover and engage with products. As the boundaries between beauty, health, and pet care continue to blur, international brands are well-positioned to lead in these converging categories. However, localisation is no longer optional, success demands a thoughtful approach that includes KOL partnerships, livestream formats, and culturally tailored content.
Rather than taking a broad-brush approach, brands should focus on targeted, category-specific growth to stand out in a saturated market. To stay relevant in China’s fast-moving digital landscape, brands must prioritise speed, transparency, and technology. As Zarina puts it, “Don’t rule anything out. Look at your niche and the opportunity within it. China moves fast, but that’s a huge advantage if you’re ready to move with it.”
Ready to Explore China?
If you’re a brand in health, wellness, functional food or pet care looking to scale into China or the wider APAC region, fill in the contact form below to get in touch with the Bolst Global team.