The Real Online Children’s Clothing Market Amid the Pandemic

　　

　　At present, the pandemic has impacted virtually every industry to some extent. In the maternal and infant sector, data from ECdataway show that in January 2020, online sales in related categories declined by 8.6% compared with the previous period. Prior to this, for the full year 2019, the industry as a whole posted a 17% year-on-year growth rate compared with 2018. Clearly, the current pandemic has had a substantial impact on the sector. Bodbog Let’s focus on the children’s apparel market. Year-to-date 2020 sales declined by 6.8% compared with year-to-date 2019, outperforming the industry average.

　　The “Alibaba platform” has consistently held a dominant position among online sales channels for children’s clothing. More than 90% of the online share in this segment is concentrated on Tmall and Taobao, and this market structure remained unchanged even during the pandemic. In January 2020, Taobao accounted for 45% of the market, Tmall for 48%, with JD.com ranking third.

　　Despite the significant downturn across all platforms and product categories due to the pandemic, ECdataway data shows that JD.com’s children’s apparel category experienced robust growth in January 2020, with a year-on-year increase of 56.1%. This was largely attributable to JD.com’s logistics network, as the operational advantages of its self-operated stores became particularly evident during the pandemic.

　　Online Landscape Across Brands: Overall Growth, with All Cotton Era Standing Out

　　According to DATA iNSIDER data, the apparel and accessories category was notably impacted by delivery disruptions during the pandemic: while overall traffic in 2020 increased by 26.7% compared with 2019, shipment volumes declined by more than 60%. With fewer social interactions amid the pandemic, consumer enthusiasm for purchasing apparel and accessories waned, leading to a significant drop in visitor interest for this category.

　　Children’s apparel shares many similarities with this category. As children’s social interactions become increasingly diverse, clothing is no longer just a functional necessity for staying warm; consequently, the children’s apparel market has also been significantly impacted by the pandemic. However, data from Children’s Apparel Watch show that most brands have still experienced notable growth.

　　According to data from ECdataway, the top 10 brands in terms of online market share in January 2020 were: Balabala, Nanjiren, David Beckham, Disney, Chenchen’s Mom, Anta, Mini Peace, Bosideng, Gap, and Zara.

　　With the exception of Anta and David Beckham, as well as Zara—whose growth rates have declined—all other brands have experienced varying degrees of growth. As for Anta, its decline is, objectively speaking, only marginally affected by the pandemic; rather, it reflects the gradual emergence of inherent shortcomings in its business model as consumption upgrades and consumer attitudes evolve, making the drop in growth rate entirely predictable. David Beckham’s deceleration in growth can be attributed primarily to two factors: first, since the brand relies heavily on online sales, any disruption to the delivery logistics system will result in a particularly pronounced slowdown; second, the recent launch of mini balabala over the past two years has directly competed with David Beckham, thereby weighing on its performance. As for Zara, its negative growth rate is emblematic of the broader decline of the fast-fashion sector, compounded by the impact of the pandemic.

　　All other brands have shown a growth trend, with Bosideng being particularly noteworthy. As a traditional down-jacket brand, Bosideng for a long period frequently ventured into unrelated categories—men’s wear, women’s wear, children’s wear—gradually drifting away from its core business and seeing its performance suffer. In the past two years, however, it has refocused on its core business, concentrating on the R&D and sales of down jackets tailored to different consumer segments, while also leveraging the “national trend” movement to stay at the forefront of fashion. It is precisely this return to its down-jacket roots that has enabled Bosideng to “escape unscathed” during the pandemic. The pandemic period happens to be the off-season for down-jacket sales, and the company had already put in place strategies to weather such slow periods, so it did not incur greater losses as a result of the outbreak.

　　Like many apparel brands, it has leveraged social media communities, short videos, and live streaming to engage in high-profile product promotions, while also using online platforms such as mini-malls to handle sales. Furthermore, the brand donated 300 million yuan during the pandemic and recently made its debut at London Fashion Week—steps that have further boosted its visibility during this extraordinary period.

　　Balabala, Anta, Mini Peace, and other brands have all shifted their focus online, sparking unique conversations and enhancing their digital services; it’s therefore only natural that online sales of children’s clothing have increased.