China's Snack Food Market Rebounds to CN¥ 136.5B: Q2 2024 Insights

Executive Summary

China's online snack food market reached CN¥ 136.5B in the twelve months ending April 2024 (MAT2024), rebounding +8.6% YoY after a period of consolidation. Unit volume surged +26.8% YoY, confirming a volume-driven growth model where declining average selling prices (-11.3%) are more than offset by surging purchase frequency.^[2] Nuts and roasted snacks led the recovery at +19.8% YoY, while bakery/pastry grew +6.1% and candy rose +4.7%. Three consumer trends -- nostalgia snacking, stress-relief consumption, and health-oriented reformulation -- are reshaping product innovation and brand strategy across all segments.

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The Broader F&B Landscape: CN¥ 459.99B Online Market Grows +17.9%

The broader food and beverage e-commerce market delivered CN¥ 459.99B in sales (+17.9% YoY) across Tmall (天猫), Taobao (淘宝), Douyin (抖音), and JD.com (京东).^[1] Snack food commands the largest category share within this landscape, driven by three structural characteristics: high purchase frequency, low unit prices, and strong consumption demand that spans demographics and occasions.

The channel structure is undergoing a fundamental shift. Content e-commerce platforms led by Douyin surged +75.0% YoY, while traditional e-commerce contracted -4.3%. Offline channels remain the dominant F&B sales channel, but hypermarkets declined -17.0% as consumers migrate to convenience formats and online shopping. For snack food brands, this means that video-based product seeding and livestream commerce are no longer optional channels -- they are where growth is happening.

Four Core Segments: Nuts Takes Share, Biscuits Lose Ground

Nuts gains +3.1 ppt market share; biscuits/puffed snacks declines -2.2 ppt

Nuts and Roasted Snacks: Spring Festival Drives CN¥ 238.4B (+19.8%)

The nuts and roasted snacks segment rebounded dramatically to CN¥ 238.4B in MAT2024 (+19.8% YoY), recovering from a -11.4% decline in the prior period.^[1] The market exhibits extreme seasonality: Spring Festival (Chinese New Year) is consistently the annual sales peak, with a striking structural shift in January 2024 -- Douyin volume nearly matched the combined total of Tmall and JD.com, demonstrating content e-commerce's conversion capabilities during high-intent shopping periods.

Three Squirrels (三只松鼠) dominates with a 15.0% market share, approximately double the second-place Be&Cheery (百草味) at 8.0%. The "additive-free/zero-additive" trend is gaining mainstream traction, with MAT2024 sales growth of +20.7% YoY for products carrying this positioning.

Biscuits and Puffed Snacks: Health Brands Buck the -1.2% Decline

The biscuit and puffed snacks market posted CN¥ 177.7B in MAT2024, a marginal -1.2% decline as average price erosion (-6.7%) offset volume recovery (+5.9%).^[1] Market concentration is falling: the CR10 dropped to 23.0% (-3.1 ppt YoY), with top 10 brand sales declining -12.8%.

However, health-oriented brands are defying the segment trend. Jiangzhong Shiliao's zero-sugar monkey head mushroom biscuit grew +30.7% and Miduoqi's whole grain rice cracker surged +43.8%. Analysis of high-growth brands reveals two dominant product themes: "real ingredients" (prominently displaying core ingredient content percentages) and "healthy formulas" (zero added sugar, zero additives, whole grain positioning). Over half of the top 10 high-growth brands derive their primary sales from Douyin.

Candy: Mint and Functional Flavours Drive +4.7% Growth

The candy market reached CN¥ 78.7B (+4.7% YoY) with unit volume growing +13.1% despite a -7.4% average price decline.^[1] Gummy candy, mint candy, and chewing gum dominate with a combined 50%+ market share and +20.3% collective growth. The most dynamic growth is coming from brands offering fresh, cooling, and functional benefits -- tea-infused candy brand Chakoulai (茶口乐) exploded +348.8% YoY, leaping from #60 to #12 in the rankings.

Niche categories are breaking out: caramel/toffee surged +166.7%, marshmallow/nougat grew +52.2%, and filled/liquid candy rose +46.0%, indicating that consumers are exploring novel textures and formats within the candy category.

Bakery: Chinese-Style Pastry Overtakes Western at 50.4% Share

The bakery and pastry segment reached CN¥ 252.5B (+6.1% YoY), with Chinese-style pastry capturing 50.4% of the market for the first time -- overtaking Western-style pastry.^[1] Traditional pastries including egg yolk puffs and eight-treasure cakes are experiencing renewed demand as the "Chinese stomach" cultural consumption trend accelerates. Buffalo milk bakery products surged +613.4% as health-conscious consumers trade up to premium dairy ingredients.

Three Consumer Trends Reshaping Snack Food

Three macro trends emerged consistently across all segments in our analysis:

1. Nostalgia consumption: 94.7% of consumers purchase snacks driven by nostalgic feelings, with "childhood memory" snack social media volume growing +107.9% YoY.

2. Stress-relief snacking: Social value and emotional stress relief are becoming primary purchase drivers, with "snack socialising" volume growing +110.4% and spicy flavour variants (mala, xianla, suanla) all posting +60% to +147% growth.

3. Health-oriented reformulation: Zero-sugar, whole grain, additive-free, and functional ingredient positioning is the common thread among the fastest-growing brands across biscuits, candy, and nuts segments.

What This Means for Brands

The data points to three strategic priorities for brands competing in China's snack food market:

• Channel strategy: Content e-commerce (Douyin) is now the primary growth channel for fast-growing snack brands. Video-based product education and livestream commerce are essential capabilities.
• Product positioning: "Healthy indulgence" -- products that combine emotional satisfaction (taste, texture, nostalgia) with health credentials (clean label, functional ingredients) -- is the winning formula.
• Category timing: Buffalo milk bakery (+613.4%), additive-free nuts (+20.7%), and tea-infused candy (+348.8%) represent specific sub-categories where early movers can establish disproportionate market positions.

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Related analysis: Health Innovation in China's Snack Food Market: Biscuit, Candy, and Nuts Deep-Dive

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^[1] Source: Moojing Market Intelligence. Data period: MAT2024 (May 2023--April 2024). Platforms: Tmall (天猫), Taobao (淘宝), JD.com (京东), Douyin (抖音).

^[2] MAT = Moving Annual Total, a rolling 12-month aggregation used to normalise for seasonal variation.