Oral care sector in China shining biz for P&G

US consumer products maker Procter & Gamble, which owns toothpaste brand Crest, plans to capitalize on the growing demand for oral care products in China as consumers seek high-quality and innovative means to improve their oral hygiene.

According to P&G China, the country is experiencing a shift toward more innovative products that can help consumers tackle a range of oral health challenges, including teeth discoloration and bad breath.

Younger consumers have become more conscientious about the state of their oral health as many of them happen to be frequent coffee and milk tea drinkers. Both practices have boosted demand for toothpaste and other products that can help rid their teeth of stains and yellowness, as well as freshen their breath.

"With a lot of brands coming into the space, it means that consumers are looking for more and better products. Besides, we are seeing more Chinese consumers become aware of the problems that happen in their mouth, and I'm very excited about future opportunities," said Amy Alt, president of oral care at P&G China.

This year, P&G celebrates the 30th anniversary since it introduced its Crest toothpaste brand in China. With the affinity that the brand has built over the years, the company anticipates more demand to drive growth as an increasing number of Chinese consumers focus more attention on the functions and components of toothpaste with their diversified needs.

To respond to these needs, P&G has leveraged the dramatic changes that have occurred in oral care over the past three decades, launching multiple products and contributing to meet the diverse oral care demand of Chinese consumers.

P&G said it plans to continue to collaborate with multiple partners to improve consumers' oral health awareness, guided by the principles set forth in the Healthy China 2030 initiative, a national guideline aimed at promoting overall health.

Crest's research institute said with the improvement of Chinese consumers' living standards, the brand has noticed that consumers have indicated a higher demand for teeth-cleaning, teeth whitening, fresh breath and gum health, which has created new challenges and opportunities for the research and development of related products.

P&G said it would continue to innovate and promote the high-quality development of the sector, and develop more products that are suitable for consumers in different age groups.

"Innovation is critical, but product safety and quality are even more important. We stick to our highest standards of product manufacturing," said Alt.

With evolving consumer perceptions toward oral care, China's oral care market has continued to expand. In the first six months of 2024, online retail sales of oral care products tracked on key e-commerce platforms reached 13.37 billion yuan ($1.85 billion), up 9.8 percent year-on-year, according to a report by the China Oral Care Industry Association.

Over the same period, online sales of the toothpaste and tooth powder category increased by 16.7 percent year-on-year. In addition, a growing demand for social interaction and personal image maintenance has driven the popularity of oral spray products, with year-on-year sales growth of 15 percent, the report said.

"With Chinese consumers' increasing demand for maintaining oral health, coupled with policy support, the number of dental medical institutions, professionals and oral care products has continued to increase in the country," said Rong Wensheng, secretary-general of China Oral Health Foundation.

"Still, the oral health awareness of the entire population needs to be improved, and there is an imbalance in oral healthcare resources between urban and rural areas," Rong said.

RT-Mart, a supermarket chain in China, said it has noticed significant changes in customers' preferences for oral care products in recent years. With consumers' increasing health awareness, the demand for functional products has been growing on a yearly basis.

Sales of oral care products offering teeth whitening, anti-sensitivity and breath freshening effects, are showing a significant upward trend, especially in major cities and developed areas, where consumers' preferences for such products are more prominent, RT-Mart said.

"However, basic cleaning products still occupy the largest share of the market. Basic toothpaste and toothbrush products are still the mainstream choices, especially in third- and fourth-tier cities, and among middle-aged and elderly consumers," said Lu Xiaoxian, marketing director of RT-Mart.