Dental implant enthusiasm soars, dry eye SPA gains strong momentum, "multiple pairs of glasses" becomes a fashion trend, and regular physical examinations continue to spread.
As health awareness rises, health consumption has become a trendy lifestyle for young people, with more and more willing to "pay for wellness".
According to Meituan Medical observations, health consumption has shown new trends of being essential, lifestyle-integrated, and diversified.
Data shows that from 2021 to 2024, the compound annual growth rate of consumer medical transaction volume on Meituan's platform reached 43%.
Among them, demand for treatment-oriented medical services grew rapidly, with related search热度 increasing 76% year-on-year in 2023.
Multi-visit card transaction value increased 51%, and health consumers further shifted younger and to lower-tier cities.
In third-tier cities, the number of medical users on Meituan increased 124% year-on-year, and professionalism became the core focus for consumers.
Health Consumption as New Engine, Strong Growth in Emerging Demand
"Staying up late while seeking wellness comfort" – health consumption has become a new essential for today's youth.
Data released by the National Bureau of Statistics shows that in 2023, per capita healthcare expenditure nationwide reached 2,460 yuan, a year-on-year increase of 16.0%, accounting for 9.2% of per capita consumption expenditure.
Behind this vigorous health consumption, new demands are constantly emerging.
With the acceleration of population aging and the proliferation of electronic devices, eye health and eye care热度 remain high.
On May 29, the "2023 Eyecare Industry White Paper" jointly released by动脉网 and Meituan Medical indicated that refractive errors have become the biggest eye health issue for Chinese people.
Blurred vision and visual fatigue are the top two eye discomfort symptoms in the survey.
According to Meituan data, dry eye syndrome ranks as the fastest-growing medical service demand on the platform.
Since the beginning of this year, searches for keywords like "dry eye treatment" increased 166% year-on-year.
Refractive surgery, optometry, and eyewear fitting constitute the three major eyecare service demands.
Eye care, as a rigid consumer need, has become an important growth driver in the ophthalmology industry.
Specifically, consumers show higher frequency of service demand, more diverse product needs, and a stronger demand for professional quality in eye health.
On Meituan, the proportion of consumers aged 20-35 reaches 71%, while demand for children's vision checks and myopia prevention is also robust.
Meanwhile, trends such as "multiple pairs of glasses", "glasses as accessories", and "colored contacts as cosmetics" are significant, indicating that diversified and personalized consumption demands are emerging.
In addition to eye health, dental services also show distinct cyclical development.
Unlike previous years, more consumers choose to "become healthier and more beautiful" during short holidays.
According to Meituan, demand for dental services during holidays can reach nearly double the usual level.
Since the beginning of this year, transaction volume related to "holiday teeth cleaning" on Meituan increased 50% year-on-year, while searches for "single-person teeth cleaning package" surged 546%.
Driven by both policies and demand, dental implant popularity soared, with orders on Meituan increasing 89% year-on-year.
Furthermore, the annual transaction user count for dental crowns grew more than 60%, making it the fastest-growing dental细分 category.
Teeth whitening and dental veneers are also favored by consumers.
From holiday teeth cleaning, dry eye SPA, optometry services, to TCM pulse diagnosis, continuously emerging health needs are becoming a "new engine" for consumption growth.
According to Meituan data, from 2021 to 2024, the compound annual growth rate of consumer medical transaction volume on the platform reached 43%, and the growth rate of multi-visit cards (repeat purchases) reached 51%.
New Supply Drives New Development, Digitalization Connects Medical Professionalism
The rapidly growing demand for health consumption creates favorable conditions for supply-side iteration and renewal.
According to Meituan Medical observations, private medical service supply has been active over the past year, with new store openings maintaining a high level.
At the same time, the digital wave is accelerating new changes in the industry, with institutional business models gradually forming four new trends: community-based, clinic-based, standardized, and branded.
Take the private ophthalmology medical market (a hundred-billion-yuan market) as an example. The emerging eyecare institution format, which connects ophthalmology hospital services with eyewear store consumer services, has grown rapidly and now has more than 2,000 stores nationwide.
As the "frontline" of the eye health ecosystem, eyecare institutions consist of ophthalmologists, optometrists, and technical support staff.
They complement ophthalmology hospitals and also represent a new direction for the professional transformation of traditional eyewear stores.
To meet the rehabilitation and correction needs of the eye care population, new formats such as optometric medical clinics and eyecare clinics are penetrating communities, providing professional vision services close to home.
New digital technologies are accelerating the professional development of medical services.
Meituan research data shows that over 65% of consumers habitually spend more than one minute before a consultation comparing and selecting institutions and doctors on internet platforms.
Among millions of medical user reviews on Meituan, "professionalism" and "service" are high-frequency keywords, and the proportion of reviews mentioning "doctor skill level" increased 21 percentage points year-on-year.
Building a more professional and reliable online service scene for consumer healthcare, helping more consumers make efficient and informed consumption decisions – Meituan and other internet platforms are linking supply and demand through a series of digital initiatives, building a bridge of trust.
It is reported that over the past two years, Meituan Medical has continued to promote a series of service standardization initiatives.
Going forward, it will also focus on professionalism to create medical institution-related rankings, providing consumers with reliable service performance guarantees.
In terms of industry depth, focusing on the new demands of consumers, Meituan Medical will continue to go deeper into various major categories such as oral care, physical examinations, eye health, traditional Chinese medicine, and specialized care.
It will tailor personalized online scenes based on industry characteristics, making medical institutions' online "infrastructure" more transparent, professional, and convenient.
"Consumer healthcare is entering a new stage driven by both supply and demand," said a Meituan Medical industry representative.
"Meituan will continue to cultivate the industry, using digital technology as a bridge to connect more consumers, doctors, and institutions, using specialized services to assist national health and promote high-quality industry development."
