Among the must-buy goods during this year's "Double 11" shopping festival and other important festivals, health care products that used to only be favored by the elderly have gained popularity among young people, sometimes even surpassing brand-name lipsticks.

As the "Double 11" shopping festival approaches, the results of a vote in a Wechat group chat with 200 members show that nearly 100 people plan to hoard health care products on their shopping list. 

(Photo/pixabay.com)

These commodities are mainly vitamins, minerals, protein powder and so on. With the average age of the group members at around 20 years old, they plan to buy both for themselves and for their children.

In recent years, young people are more and more eager to buy healthcare products. According to data from an e-commerce platform, during the "June 18" marketing period this year, eye health product sales increased by 4,126 percent year-on-year; protein powder sales increased by 75.1 percent year-on-year, and vitamin product sales increased by 387 percent year-on-year.

Meanwhile, "post-95s" and "post-00s" have become the main driving force behind consumption, with active users growing by 126 percent year-on-year.

"In the past, young people bought health care products mainly for their parents, but now young people also buy these for themselves," said Li Jiawei, who has been a health food purchasing agent in Australia for five years.

Health care products have even become gifts for couples. Not long ago, Jin Qi (pseudonym), a teacher at a training institution in Beijing, received gifts from her boyfriend: collagen fudge, grape seed tablets, cranberry capsules, multivitamins and eye protection tablets. "There are a total of eight bottles. I will eat 11 tablets a day," Jin said.

This year's Valentine's Day consumption data released by an e-commerce platform showed that among the top three best-selling gifts on Valentine's Day, a brand called Vitamin C effervescent tablets ranked second, with sales up 2,774.4 percent over the same period last year, exceeding a well-known brand's limited lipstick set.

The sub-health caused by work stress and staying up late has given rise to young people's demand for health care products.

According to a report released a few days ago, young people are the main group of people "staying up late,” with high proportion of "post-95s" falling asleep after midnight, and even placing orders for health care products at midnight or later.