China's professional outdoor food market holds great potential
With the rise of China's middle class and the increase in per capita consumption levels, more and more people are heading outdoors, and an increasing number of outdoor enthusiasts are favoring more specialized outdoor food. Data shows that in recent years, China's outdoor food market has reached a billion-yuan scale and is growing at a rate of over 20% annually. Industry experts say that China is on track to become the world’s second-largest outdoor food consumer market after the United States, accounting for about 20% of the global share. However, what is concerning is that this field is currently dominated by high-end foreign brands. According to relevant data reviewed by reporters, domestic R&D technology for such specialized foods is not lagging behind—in fact, it has reached world-leading standards in certain metrics. The main reason for the international brands’ dominance in market share is that China’s outdoor market was relatively underdeveloped in previous years, which confined the market for professional energy foods to military rations and professional sports nutrition. With the vigorous development of the domestic outdoor sports market and the growing demand for outdoor food, some companies have begun to turn their attention to the outdoor consumer segment.
According to Mr. Bai Houzeng, General Manager of Comperit (a leading sports nutrition company), Comperit has been engaged in the professional sports nutrition field for over a decade, serving competitive sports groups represented by Olympic athletes. It is a pioneer in China’s sports nutrition products and boasts strong capabilities in this domain. It also has nearly ten years of R&D and production experience in the nutrition bar sector. Comperit’s professional energy bars hold over 90% of the domestic market, with clients including various national teams and military units. The launch of Wild Explorer, specifically targeting outdoor enthusiasts, is also in response to the huge market demand within China’s outdoor sector.
The segmentation of energy foods will become a trend
With the surge in demand for outdoor food and the gradual upgrading of nutritional needs for outdoor activities, the development of the outdoor food market is becoming increasingly specialized. From simply satisfying hunger, to alleviating hunger, to achieving balanced nutrition, and from basic energy replenishment to enhancing endurance professionally—each upgrade in consumer perception creates a massive market. It is understood that currently, semi-professional outdoor foods mainly focus on energy provision, while professional outdoor foods emphasize improving physical endurance through balanced nutrition, sustained energy, and fatigue recovery to meet the demands of long-duration, high-intensity outdoor activities. This concept is gaining recognition among more and more outdoor enthusiasts, and this trend toward specialization is set to create an even larger outdoor food market.
Wang Lifeng, head of the Wild Explorer division at Comperit Group, said, “Just like in Europe and the United States, China will also go through an evolution where the initial market is primarily for the military and athletes, then becomes exclusive to young people, and eventually develops into a mainstream food category. The launch of the Wild Explorer energy bar is in line with this trend and will also create a precedent for bringing professional endurance energy foods to the broader outdoor enthusiast market. In terms of pricing, we also have a natural advantage. We are very confident in becoming the leading product in this niche segment.”
Internet thinking empowers traditional enterprise innovation
It is worth mentioning that Wang Lifeng told reporters that the emergence of the “Wild Explorer energy bar” also leverages the rapid development of the internet, enabling companies to quickly and accurately understand consumer needs. During early interactions with a large number of outdoor enthusiasts, Comperit identified that fast hunger relief, balanced nutrition, portability, and endurance enhancement were the most comprehensive and urgent needs of this group. Based on extensive summaries of these needs, Comperit collaborated with the Tibet Mountaineering Team to co-develop a professional nutrition bar that integrates the dual requirements of professional outdoor mountaineering and recreational sports, building upon their existing athletic energy bars. The result is a perfect combination of great taste and professional sports nutrition.
Over the three-year development of the project, the Wild Explorer team established communication channels with a vast number of outdoor sports enthusiasts via the internet, engaging with consumers through online interaction. By adopting a rapid product iteration model, the team made dozens of improvements to the product until it received unanimous praise from consumers. “The Wild Explorer energy bar can be considered a perfect fusion of internet thinking and the professional outdoor market. We will continue to deepen our efforts in the internet space, which will also serve as a core channel for Wild Explorer. Launching a flagship store on Tmall is just the first step—we can all look forward to what’s next,” Wang Lifeng said with a smile.
Background information:
Beijing Comperit Sports Science and Technology Co., Ltd. is currently the largest sports nutrition company in China and a pioneer in the country’s sports nutrition field. For many years, Comperit has supplied sports nutrition products to China’s Olympic athletes, making indelible contributions to the development of China’s sports industry.