Haleon on new trends in the health industry in China

To mark the 70th anniversary of the China-Britain Business Council, FOCUS speaks to companies that have experienced outstanding success in the Chinese market over the last seven decades

In the third instalment of this series, FOCUS talks to Yue Fu, Head of Corporate Affairs for Chinese Mainland and Hong Kong at Haleon.

What new trends are you seeing in the health industry?in China?

First, we believe the health industry in China will experience steady growth. According to China’s National Health and Family Planning Commission, the total scale of China’s health service industry will reach RMB 16 trillion by 2030. There has also been a notable shift in people’s mindset as priorities move from reactive disease treatment to preventative health measures, and there is a growing demand for proactive health management products and services.

In addition, China’s ageing population is fuelling a surge in demand for health products and services tailored for older adults. Older people seek not just an extended lifespan but also a higher quality of life. Consequently, there is a growing opportunity for health products and services that support mobility, vitality, memory and cognitive wellbeing.

We believe that these trends will keep driving the growth of China's consumer health industry. Haleon will also keep leveraging its core strengths in China – deep human understanding, trusted science and digital capabilities – while actively capturing local market trends and consumer needs to provide more high-quality products to meet consumers’ diversified needs under the new trends.

How have Chinese consumers evolved in recent years in terms of their?healthcare preferences and buying habits?

Firstly, the consumer’s level of concern for all health problems generally increased. According to a Haleon market study conducted in early 2024, compared with 2021, consumers’ concerns about eye health, immunity, energy, joint health and nutrition supplements have all increased significantly. To deal with these concerns, consumers are taking measures such as adjusting their lifestyles, seeking medical help, changing their diets and exercising more.

In addition, people are spending more on proactive health management. The 2023 National Consumption Expenditure Report indicated that, while demand for therapeutic medications remains dominant and relatively stable, expenditure on non-therapeutic scenarios, such as preventative healthcare, health examination and screening tests, has shown more pronounced growth.

Lastly, consumer demands are constantly evolving and becoming more sophisticated, calling for personalised solutions. To address the diverse needs of different individuals, Haleon launched its first customised nutrition mini-program platform, Key, last year, providing consumers with personalised nutrition solutions, to give just one example.

Does China’s ageing population provide an opportunity for Haleon?

As mentioned earlier, the ageing population presents great opportunities for growth in health products and services that aim to enable older adults to enjoy a fulfilling life in their later years. Notably, the “new-silver” demographic, aged between 50-60, are more proactive in maintaining their health and more willing to invest in health-related expenses.

Haleon offers products and health solutions that may benefit this ‘silver’ demographic. We have the Silver Centrum multivitamin for the middle-aged to the elderly population. US Silver Centrum has been used in some large-scale, high-quality studies and has been shown to have positive results in slowing down cognitive ageing. In addition, our classic brand, Caltrate, has always focused on providing solutions for bone and joint health, which may also be helpful for older adults to maintain and improve their mobility.

The advantage of China’s consumer goods market is its ability to generate quick innovations, enabling rapid iteration and an agile “test-and-learn” approach

What learnings has Haleon taken from the China market that can be used in the UK and vice versa?

The Chinese market presents lessons for Western countries in the agile and rapid innovation capability of business models such as online-to-offline and interest-based e-commerce platforms. Another advantage of China’s consumer goods market is its ability to generate quick innovations, enabling rapid iteration and an agile “test-and-learn” approach by leveraging its complete industry supply chain and massive domestic consumption market.

As a company with a history in pharmaceuticals, Haleon was born with a heritage of rigorous scientific research. Deep human understanding and trusted science are the core strengths that enable Haleon to outperform its competitors. In the realm of consumer health, our journey begins with a deep understanding of our consumers’ needs. We are truly committed to uncovering profound insights, fulfilling the genuine needs of consumers, and delivering innovations that have been proven to benefit consumers’ health based on trusted science.

How has Haleon managed to thrive in an era of recession around the world??

Health is a universal and timeless theme. Haleon’s vision to make everyday health more achievable, more inclusive and more sustainable, as well as our commitment to breaking down the social and environmental barriers to better everyday health, is especially crucial in these turbulent times.

With an extensive portfolio spanning disease treatment, prevention and condition enhancement, covering almost the entire human life cycle, we are able to serve tens of millions of people around the world. Combined with the global accessibility of our products, this has allowed us to maintain a certain level of resilience even in challenging environments.

As we move forward, Haleon will continue to leverage our strengths to identify new trends in the market and keep enhancing our innovation capability, allowing us to explore potential business opportunities and adapt to the ever-changing world.