3 Reasons Health Supplement Brands Are Winning (or Losing) in China

Charles Lavoie

Chief Revenue Officer

Published on January 29, 2026

Sales of health supplements are still booming in China (+22% YoY in 2025). Yet many legacy brands are declining and wondering why.

Over the last year, we brought several brands to the top of the growth charts in this category and spoke with others that are declining and looking for solutions.

I usually say every brand is different and there isn’t a one-size-fits-all playbook, but there are 3 common denominators we see across winning brands in this category:

1. Price Control

Legacy brands with extensive distribution networks and limited control often face the same challenge: distributors with short-term interests dilute the brand by selling below price — or worse, without even knowing a price map exists.

This is common in China.

The result is influencers avoid working with the brand because their relationship with consumers depends on trust in offering the best pricing.

2. Product Innovation Roadmap (driven by data and social listening)

We’ve incorporated data analysts and product strategists into all teams working on health supplements because a localized innovation pipeline is critical.

Educating new consumers is hard and costly, so products must align with beliefs and trends already growing organically in the market.

3. Content Powerhouse

The old days of bidding on vitamin or ingredient keywords are over.

Winning brands now have dedicated content editors, streamers, and talent teams focused on both quantity and quality, ensuring constant presence across Douyin, RedNote, Zhihu, WeChat, Tmall Guangguang, and others.

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