Zarina Kanji | Health, Wellness and Food in China

Topics Discussed and Key Points:

● Tmall’s International Women's Day

● The most sought-after products among women in 2022

● Trends in the food & beverage space

● Why there is more demand for sleep supplements

● Health and wellness trends in the West that might make it to China very soon

● UK and Nordic products that have captured the attention of Chinese consumers

● What Gen-Z female consumers look for compared with their older counterparts

● Differences between consumers across different geographies in China

Episode Summary:

Today on The Negotiation, we talk with Zarina Kanji. Based in London, she is the Head of Business Development for Health & Wellness and Food & Beverage Brands at Alibaba. She previously served as VP of Global Fashion Brand Partnerships at Lazada in Singapore.

Zarina speaks with us about Tmall’s upcoming International Women’s Day—a key event tied to the company’s Super Brand Day—on March 8, 2022. It has proven in previous years to be the third-largest shopping festival in the nation, behind 11.11 and 6.18, and is a unique opportunity for brands to engage with women across China.

From influencer parties to limited edition product launches, International Women’s Day, or “Queen Day” as it is sometimes called, is a celebration of all things female.

The five major trends predicted for this International Women’s Day are inner beauty, beauty tech, probiotics (gut health), sleep supplementation (which include the phenomenon of 朋克养生 or pengke yangsheng, also known as “punk health”), and sportswear.

With regards to food & beverage, Zarina notes that China is rapidly becoming the world’s largest market for healthy eating, and especially healthy snacking. This trend, adopted primarily by millennials and Gen-Z, was largely spurred on by the COVID-19 pandemic. More than 30 million consumers purchased healthy food on Tmall global alone in 2020, a 30% rise from the previous year. Alibaba saw a 56% rise in healthy on-the-go foods, which include sesame balls, goji berry beverages, and meal replacement shakes. Zarina sees plant-based consumables as an upcoming trend in the near future.

She also says that there is a growing demand for health and wellness products in the UK and Nordic countries thanks to the quality of ingredients typically used in these items.

Finally, Zarina discusses the importance of catering to the demands of younger female consumers as a Chinese brand. With Tmall Global alone, around 70% of consumers are female. 85% are 39, and 59% of those consumers are under 30.

Key Quotes:

“The health and wellness industry is estimated to grow by 19% from 2020 to 2025—up to $145 billion. Much of this will cater towards China’s 685 million women.”

“In China, what you put in and on your body absolutely matters.”

“China is rapidly becoming the world’s largest market for healthy eating, and notably healthy snacking is what we talk about a lot.”

“It’s really important that brands are looking towards the demands of Gen-Z, millennial, female consumers in China. If we take Tmall Global alone, around 70% of our consumers are female. 85% of our consumers are under 39, and 59% of those consumers are under 30.”