The Shenzhen Stock Exchange listed company currently has both online and offline retail presence in Australia and New Zealand since 2019. Last year, it also expanded into Hong Kong.
According to Jesse Gu, head of sales and marketing – BY-HEALTH International at BY-HEALTH Co. Ltd, the company’s women’s health products such as Cartidyss Collagen Gummies and Flashnutri Iron Sachet have been its bestsellers in these markets. The company's flagship brand is known as BYHEALTH.
Cartidyss Collagen Gummies contains 500mg of French-patented marine collagen, specifically made of concentrated fish cartilage extract, as well as Japanese rose extract and apple polyphenol.
Flashnutri Iron Sachet, on the other hand, contains 17.6mg of iron powder per sachet which would melt in the mouth without having to consume it with water.
“Inner beauty or edible beauty is a global trend, with IMS data showing sales of collagen and iron have been rising in Australia’s pharmacy retail, especially in 2020,” said Gu who is based in Australia.
In markets outside of China, the company currently has a range of 10 product SKUs, including collagen drink and sleep aid supplements. However, some are only sold via cross-border e-commerce in China due to regulatory restrictions in Australia.
In the brick-and-mortar space, the company sells four product SKUs in ANZ, including its bestselling collagen and iron supplements, as well as milk thistle tablets for supporting healthy liver function and grape seed hard capsules for supporting general health.
In Hong Kong, it enjoys an offline presence in Mannings, where it sells both collagen and iron supplements.
“Our market strategies vary from country to country, as we have to understand the demographics first and work through segmentation. The idea is to get consumers to be familiar with and know BYHEALTH first, to be friends with us first. We spread the idea of 'be friends with BYHEALTH' to help consumers relate to the brand.
“For example, in China, most consumers we target are from the post-90s generation. Health concerns for this demographic include obesity, stress, liver problems, sleep issues etc. We then develop and tailor the marketing strategies to target these groups of consumers.
“In Australia, ageing is an issue and related concerns include rheumatoid arthritis, high blood pressure, and liver protection, so we have developed specific products for these demographics.
“In Hong Kong, women have a strong purchasing powder, with our edible beauty supplements targeted at the post-90s demographic a big market as well."
According to a report by Euromonitor in February, while COVID-19 has led to strong demand for supplements in Hong Kong, there is also a growing number of consumers who are more receptive towards the concept of beauty-from-within.
This in turn increased sales for supplements that claim to improve skin health, with vitamin C as the more popular product.
Asked how the Chinese brand can compete against well-known Australia and American brands in the international markets, Gu said the key would be to focus on the consumers and understand their needs.
In this case, the company will continue to develop its edible beauty product range for its APAC expansion.
Gu added that the company has been planning to expand to South East Asia but declined to reveal further details.
The company is still in its nascent stage of international market expansion, and is largely dependent on the domestic market.
In FY2020, the company recorded a revenue of RMB$6.09bn (US$936m), up 15.83 per cent year-on-year, largely contributed by its offline retail activities in China.
BY-HEALTH buses
The company is also planning to introduce BY-HEALTH buses which will provide free health screening services and supplement recommendation across Australia.
This will be a replication of the firm’s strategy in China, where six BY-HEALTH buses have been touring around the country and providing free testing for chronic diseases, cardiovascular, skin, and bone health problems etc, which is followed up with recommendation to the firm’s products.
Gu said that the method has been useful in generating sales and strengthening the brand's presence across China.