China's Online Seasonings Market Reaches CN¥ 24.4B in 2023

Executive Summary#

China's online seasonings market reached CN¥ 24.4 billion in 2023 across four leading Chinese marketplaces ^[1], in a year that brought a clear shift toward content-led commerce. In content-led commerce, short videos and live streams show consumers how a seasoning is used in cooking. On three of those marketplaces, basic seasonings overtook compound non-prepared dish seasonings for the first time as staples such as soy sauce, salt and vinegar moved online, while social media trends such as the Zibo barbecue craze lifted smaller sub-categories. This analysis examines the shift toward content-led commerce, the changes among the main seasoning categories and the sub-categories that drove growth.

Content-Led Commerce Becomes a Major Seasonings Channel#

Seasonings sales on a leading content-led marketplace grew 46.8% YoY to CN¥ 7.1 billion in 2023, which we believe reflects a structural change in how Chinese consumers discover and buy condiments.

The change follows wider shifts in consumer behavior. Content-led discovery, in which short videos and live streams introduce consumers to new products, suits the seasonings category particularly well, because seeing a seasoning used in a recipe is often what persuades a consumer to buy it.

Category Rotation: Basic Seasonings Overtake Compounds#

The main seasoning categories changed places on three leading Chinese marketplaces between 2021 and 2023. Basic seasonings grew from CN¥ 5.5 billion to CN¥ 6.2 billion, overtaking compound non-prepared dish seasonings (CN¥ 5.0 billion) for the first time. This reflects the growing online penetration of staples such as soy sauce, salt, vinegar and cooking wine, which consumers have traditionally bought offline.

Compound prepared dish and recipe-style seasonings, with CN¥ 6.0 billion in sales, came under pressure over the same period, which raises questions about saturation in the category. Regional and specialty seasonings are still a small category at CN¥ 117 million, but they grew 52.8% from 2021, which points to a niche opportunity.

Sub-Category Winners: Salt and Compound Flavorings#

Chili sauce was the largest sub-category on the three marketplaces at CN¥ 2.8 billion, with sales almost flat in 2023. The largest growth came from salt, whose sales grew 86.7% to CN¥ 765 million after Japan's nuclear wastewater discharge in August 2023.

Other sub-category changes on the three marketplaces include:

• Compound food flavorings grew 11.6% to CN¥ 1.3 billion
• Chili powder/dipping sauce grew 15.6% to CN¥ 804 million
• Chicken essence/MSG grew 41.3% to CN¥ 687 million
• White sugar came under pressure as consumer preferences shifted

Chili sauce leads with CN¥ 2.8 billion; salt sales surged 86.7% from the hoarding wave

*Source: Moojing Market Intelligence*

Content-Led Commerce: Where Social Media Trends Become Sales#

On the content-led marketplace, the sub-categories that grew fastest were those carried by social media content. BBQ seasoning/marinade grew 174.2% to CN¥ 377 million, a rise directly linked to the Zibo barbecue craze that spread across Chinese social media in 2023.

Hot pot seasoning reached CN¥ 525 million with +16.6% growth, and Sichuan pepper/star anise/cinnamon more than doubled, growing 119.2% to CN¥ 131 million. This shows that even traditional spice categories can grow quickly when good content supports them.

BBQ seasoning grew 174.2% on a leading content-led marketplace as social media trends drove category growth

*Source: Moojing Market Intelligence*

Key Takeaways#

• China's online seasonings market reached CN¥ 24.4 billion in 2023 across four leading marketplaces, with a clear shift toward content-led commerce
• Seasonings sales on a leading content-led marketplace grew 46.8% YoY to CN¥ 7.1 billion
• Basic seasonings overtook compound non-prepared dish seasonings for the first time, at CN¥ 6.2 billion
• BBQ seasoning grew 174.2% on the content-led marketplace, driven by the Zibo barbecue craze on social media ^[3]
• Salt sales grew 86.7% after Japan's nuclear wastewater discharge

About the Data#

This analysis draws on Moojing Market Intelligence data covering 2021-2023. Moojing analyses brand and category performance across major Chinese e-commerce platforms, and this analysis covers four leading Chinese marketplaces. For full methodology and additional insights, see the complete Seasonings & Condiments whitepaper.

For inquiries, contact us at info@moojing-global.com or visit moojing-global.com. Follow us on LinkedIn.