December 2024 Whitepaper: China's Household Paper Products Market Analysis

Key Finding 1

China's online household paper products market continues to expand through volume-driven growth despite declining prices, with Jan-Oct 2024 sales demonstrating resilient consumer demand across all major e-commerce platforms.

The household paper products market is undergoing a structural shift where price competition coexists with premiumization in high-growth segments. Facial tissue remains the dominant category at CN¥ 20.35 billion in Jan-Oct 2024 sales (+16.0% YoY), commanding 47% of the overall market. While Tmall/Taobao (天猫/淘宝) platforms retain the largest share at over 48%, their dominance is eroding as JD.com (京东) and Douyin (抖音) gain ground through competitive pricing and content-driven commerce. This platform diversification is creating new entry points for both established and emerging brands.

Key Finding 2

Moisturizing tissue emerges as the fastest-growing premium segment, reaching CN¥ 1.95 billion in Jan-Oct 2024 (+24.5% YoY), with COROU (可心柔) commanding 55.3% market share while challenger brands achieve exponential growth through ingredient innovation.

The moisturizing tissue segment exemplifies the broader consumer upgrade trend in Chinese household paper products. COROU's dominance at 55.3% market share (+5.1pp YoY) reflects strong brand loyalty, yet the explosive growth of challenger brands like Zhihu (植护) at +8,337% and Bubandi (布班迪) at +32,274% signals significant market expansion beyond the category leader. These newcomers are leveraging Douyin's content commerce ecosystem and competitive pricing to capture share, suggesting the market is far from saturated.

Key Finding 3

Celebrity endorsements and KOC-driven social commerce are reshaping brand positioning in the moisturizing tissue market, with COROU's Liu Shishi partnership and Tempo's Wang Yibo campaign demonstrating that brand-building investment drives measurable sales acceleration.

The convergence of social media marketing and e-commerce is creating a new competitive playbook for household paper brands. COROU's October 2024 announcement of Liu Shishi as brand ambassador generated a massive spike of 27,694 social media mentions and 540,513 engagements in a single month, while Tempo's Wang Yibo partnership in May 2024 drove similarly dramatic engagement surges. These investments reflect a market where consumer attention, rather than distribution alone, determines growth trajectory. Brands that combine ingredient innovation with emotionally resonant marketing are capturing disproportionate market share.