Benefiting from the enhancement of consumer health concepts, the global health food market is experiencing significant expansion, and the market size is increasing year by year. Data from research-based statistics company statistics show that from 2018 to the present, the global health food market has shown good growth vitality as a whole, and the market size is expected to reach US$ 201.1 billion in 2026 . Among them, core markets such as North America, Asia-Pacific, and Europe are continuing to grow at an annual compound growth rate of about 7% . With the rise of overseas e-commerce platforms, the online health food market has created huge business opportunities and has become a popular track for domestic health food brands to go overseas.

Overseas online markets grow rapidly

　　At present, the sales of health foods from major overseas e-commerce platforms are maintaining a rapid growth trend. Domestic brands can find potential market opportunities by insighting into the overseas health food market, especially online sales.

The " 2024 Overseas Market White Paper" (hereinafter referred to as the "White Paper") 　　released by Magic Mirror Insight shows that from January to June 2024 , the year-on-year growth rate of health foods on domestic mainstream e-commerce platforms was only 1.7% , and the year-on-year growth rate of overseas health foods during the same period was as high as 20.2% , with a scale of over 93 billion US dollars.

　　As a mature e-commerce platform, Amazon's sales in health food-related categories reached US$ 87.7 billion from January to June 2024 , an increase of 19.7% year-on-year . Among them, the US site ranked first with its sales of US$ 75.1 billion, and its high consumption capacity and high attention to health laid the foundation for the local health food consumption market.

　　Health food consumption has also performed well in emerging markets such as Southeast Asia. With the growth of local economic and the increase in residents' purchasing power, more and more Southeast Asian consumers have realized the importance of nutritional health care and have begun to actively choose health foods rich in vitamins and minerals to maintain health and prevent diseases. The White Paper shows that the sales of Shopee and Lazada platforms, which focus on Southeast Asian markets, were US$ 4.38 billion and US$ 1.28 billion respectively from January to June 2024 , with year-on-year growth rate of more than 16% . Among them, Thailand, Indonesia and the Philippines are relatively large sites with relatively large market size.

North American and Asia Pacific markets are relatively mature

　　After years of development, the North American health food market has entered a mature stage and has firmly ranked first in the world. This is due to the relatively complete mindset of consumers in North American market, people have a certain understanding of the ingredients and efficacy of various dietary supplements, and also have the habit of long-term consumption. Health foods have a high penetration rate in the United States. Statista survey data shows that 74% of adults consume health food in 2023 , offline is the main purchasing channel for local consumers. With the popularization and rapid development of online consumption, the market size of health food in the e-commerce channel in the United States has gradually expanded. From January to June 2024 , Amazon's US site health food sales reached US$ 75.1 billion, a year-on-year increase of 15% . In addition, the Asia-Pacific market is also relatively mature and is the main battlefield for health food sales.

　　The White Paper shows that 65% of consumer demand on North America and Asia Pacific (hereinafter referred to as "American and Asia") platforms are concentrated in the US$50 to US$ 200 price range. At the same time, mid-to-high-end products also show high growth potential, with sales of products in the same price range of US$ 200 to US$ 350 and US$ 400 to US$ 450 and sales of products to varying degrees.

　　Compared with domestic online channels, the health food brand concentration of Meiya platform is relatively low and the market is scattered. During the statistical period, CR5 (the market share of the top 5 companies in the industry) is less than 6% . The top local brands have not yet fully occupied the minds of users, and the share of each brand is below 2% , creating greater space for China's health food brands to go overseas.

　　From the perspective of the types of hot-selling products, nutrient supplements, probiotics, and protein powder products are the core products of the leading brands, corresponding to immune enhancement, intestinal health and protein supplementation, which are more similar to the demand situation in the domestic market.

　　In addition, the health food market for middle-aged and elderly people is in a state of rapid growth, with the US and Asian market focusing on joint / bone health, brain health, cardiovascular health and other products year-on-year growth rates in the first half of 2024 were above 40% . The maturity of related health foods in the US and Asia market is also high . The overall sales in the first half of 2024 exceeded US$ 5 billion, with a year-on-year growth rate of 40% . The product forms are more diverse, and the forms of gummy, liquid, powder, capsules, etc. are all distributed, and the ingredients are also more diversified. Among them, capsules and powders are the most common product forms in the Meiya health food market, accounting for more than 60%.

Southeast Asian market potential

　　In recent years, the rise of functional foods and beverages around the world has provided consumers with a more convenient source of nutrition. Meanwhile, consumer interest in natural and organic products has been growing, further driving demand for natural sources of vitamins and minerals. In addition, Southeast Asia's huge middle-class group and aging trend have also created a broad market foundation for the health food market, and the Southeast Asia's health food market is becoming the focus of brand and capital attention. Public data shows that Southeast Asia's vitamin and mineral market revenue will reach US$ 2.27 billion in 2024 and will continue to expand at an annual compound growth rate of 6.13% . This significant increase is mainly attributed to a shift in local consumer preferences. Emerging market trends and specific situations. For sellers who want to expand their overseas business, the Southeast Asian health food market is an emerging market worth paying attention to.

　　Southeast Asia is located in a tropical region and has a hot climate all year round. This climate environment has also profoundly affected the consumption decisions of local consumers. Therefore, domestic health food brands should also make strategic layouts based on the customs, culture, population characteristics, consumption tendencies, etc. of different countries.

　　As a country that started early in the field of health and medical tourism, Thailand not only has locally produced health foods and herbs, but international brands of health foods are also very popular among consumers. Relevant data shows that beauty supplements and weight management supplements in Thailand's Shopee market increased by more than 50% in 2023. The pursuit of health and beauty by female users has promoted the development of the health food industry in the local area. Among beauty supplements, skin nutrition supplements account for 82.6% of the market share with annual sales of RMB 454 million , a year-on-year increase of 41% . The ingredients that Thai consumers are more concerned about include collagen, vitamin C and antioxidants. It is their core demand to delay aging and maintain a young skin state. Weight supplements are divided into two categories: "weight loss" and "muscle gain". Among them, the "weight loss" supplement, the most popular among Thai consumers, accounts for 72% of the market share and has achieved a rapid growth of 103% in 2023 .

　　Online health food sales in the Philippines are mainly concentrated on the Lazada platform, with annual sales exceeding RMB 800 million and a year-on-year growth of up to 115% . Data shows that health nutrition products account for half of the Philippines' health food market, with an increase of nearly 100% in the past year . Among them, immunity and vitamin-related categories account for 44% of the health nutrition track , while the third-ranked sleep anxiety-related category has seen a super high growth of nearly 500% in 2023 . From the perspective of nutritional dosage forms, capsules, gummy and powder are the preferred forms of health foods by Filipino consumers. The most noteworthy sub-track is the fudge product. Currently, the sales of this product in 2023 will reach RMB 150 million, while the number of products is small and there are less than 1,000 . Related brands can be deployed as soon as possible.

　　Some experts suggest that the competition in Southeast Asia's health food market is becoming increasingly fierce. If domestic overseas brands want to share the cake in this market, they must fully understand market demand, grasp the market environment of different countries, study local consumer preferences and make arrangements as soon as possible. Continuous market monitoring and in-depth research will help companies grasp market trends, promptly update products and strategic adjustments, so as to stand out in the fiercely competitive market and seize overseas markets.

　　Although Southeast Asia does have many advantages in nutritional and health food consumption, there are still major constraints in overall growth. These factors include, but are not limited to, food safety, approval from national regulatory authorities, lack of standardization and consumer preferences. Therefore, before domestic health food brands are sold in Southeast Asia, they must complete the product declaration procedures stipulated by various countries and ensure that their products comply with labeling and health and safety requirements. In addition, a certificate of food hygiene and safety standards is required and continue to meet all health, safety and hygiene standards throughout the business period.