Southeast Asia’s demographic dividend extends beyond its large workforce and growing consumer base. High birth rates and a steady stream of newborns are fueling a fast-expanding parenting economy. And as disposable incomes rise and the middle class grows, demand for premium and innovative products for mothers and babies is set to climb.
The market, however, remains fragmented. Price tiers are uneven, product quality varies, and safety standards are inconsistent. Spotting these gaps, Chinese producers of mom-and-baby products are strengthening their engagement with young parents in markets such as Malaysia and the Philippines.
In 1991, when many Chinese families still relied on woven baskets and bicycles to transport infants, the mom-and-baby brand Goodbaby introduced what it promoted as China’s first “four-in-one” stroller, designed for sitting, reclining, pushing, and folding. The innovation redefined convenience for Chinese parents and spurred domestic advances in baby gear.
36 years later, the company from Kunshan, Jiangsu, has grown far beyond that milestone product. Its portfolio now spans car seats, cribs, feeding products, and children’s apparel, anchored by premium brands across Europe, the US, and Southeast Asia.
In January 2024, Goodbaby built local distribution networks across several Southeast Asian markets, opened standalone stores, and entered high-end retailers. By July the same year, it launched a cross-border e-commerce platform, delivering what it calls “Chinese originals” to moms globally.
The Southeast Asian market is a key component of Goodbaby’s global strategy, according to Zhan Xueling, head of cross-border business, and Chen Xueyan, who leads the company’s Southeast Asia operations. They added that alongside favorable demographics and economic growth, the region’s strong e-commerce infrastructure has been crucial to the company’s international push.
Both representatives cited Shopee, the region’s leading e-commerce platform, as a key partner in cross-border expansion. Speaking with 36Kr, they said Goodbaby’s “pocket stroller” became one of the bestselling folding strollers in Singapore on Shopee within eight weeks of launch, and that monthly sales doubled after the company enabled multi-warehouse shipping to Malaysia and the Philippines.
For cross-border brands with experience, Southeast Asia offers a natural advantage. “Ethnic Chinese make up about 30% of Malaysia’s population and as much as 74% in Singapore,” Zhan said. “That gives Goodbaby a solid base of recognition. Our research shows that brand awareness among Southeast Asia’s Chinese consumers is 62%, and their conversion rate for first purchases is 18 percentage points higher than among non-Chinese consumers.”
Still, familiarity alone is not enough. Successful market entry requires precise localization. Zhan noted that Goodbaby draws on decades of global R&D experience to tailor products to local climates, usage patterns, and color preferences while maintaining unified global safety standards. This approach, she said, helps the company better meet the needs of Southeast Asian consumers, particularly given the region’s climate.
Goodbaby’s three-part foundation
Goodbaby credits its growth to a three-part foundation: strong products, content-driven marketing, and agile operations.
Its flagship pocket stroller, certified by Guinness World Records as the smallest folding stroller, entered the region with built-in recognition and low consumer education costs. Shopee analytics revealed regional preferences: while Chinese shoppers favored pastel tones, Southeast Asian consumers clicked more on navy and titanium gray. Goodbaby adjusted its SKUs accordingly to better align with local tastes.
To boost conversions, the company launched extensive content marketing campaigns both on and off e-commerce platforms, including short-form videos demonstrating one-hand folding and keyword ads such as “foldable stroller” and “airline cabin stroller.” Once scaling began, 70% of ad spend shifted to Shopee’s “GMV Max” campaigns, steadily improving return on investment.
Goodbaby also implemented a tiered pricing strategy to reach wider audiences while steering traffic toward premium models. Alongside its high-end line, it introduced entry-level versions priced between USD 199–299, supported by limited-run broadcasts and regular tracking of impressions, clicks, and conversion rates.
The early months required continuous testing and recalibration, but high-value products eventually doubled gross merchandise value (GMV), driven by localized fulfillment and data-led marketing.
“The key is leveraging the platform’s traffic,” Chen said. “On Shopee, active users and a fixed promotional calendar give us a built-in growth base. As a flagship store and official warehouse partner, we secured homepage banners, Super Brand Day features, and prime placements in the mom-and-baby category, like having a booth on the ground floor of an online mall.”
Fulfillment was another critical piece. Goodbaby initially shipped small batches cross-border to minimize inventory risk. As volume grew, it switched to a third-party fulfillment model, cutting logistics and commission costs and reinvesting the savings into advertising and flash sale subsidies. This approach also improved return logistics for large, high-value items like strollers.
Integration with Shopee’s warehouses further optimized costs and boosted visibility. “Commission rates dropped eight to nine percentage points, while our listings gained search weight and fast delivery tags,” Chen said. “That created a positive loop: the more we sold, the more visible we became. We’re maintaining third-party fulfillment alongside in-platform warehousing to keep inventory flexible.”
Targeting Southeast Asia’s high-end parenting market
As early as August, Goodbaby began preparations for Shopee’s September 9 sales event, coordinating inventory, marketing, and pre-event promotions. On the day, the company said sales surged tenfold compared with normal levels, outpacing the overall market growth rate.
Goodbaby’s team reportedly used predictive models for sales and traffic to guide stock planning, ensuring main SKUs were in local warehouses by late July. It bundled its pocket stroller with accessories such as storage bags at discounted combo prices to protect margins, while adding essentials like bottles and cleaning agents to encourage one-stop shopping and raise average order value.
Marketing efforts started three weeks in advance, securing top banner slots, flash sale placements, and platform vouchers. In the final week, the team said it boosted exposure through Shopee Video and in-store broadcasts. “Our goal was simple,” Chen said. “We wanted premium strollers to go mainstream across Southeast Asia on September 9.”
Looking ahead, Goodbaby plans to deepen its presence in the region’s evolving mom-and-baby market.
“The segment is following China’s premiumization path, but at a faster pace,” Zhan said. “We’re playing three cards early: quality, scenarios, and content.”
Consumers, she added, increasingly value design and safety and are willing to pay for higher-quality materials and technology. Goodbaby’s follow-up to this is the introduction of both European and Chinese safety certifications to bolster its branding in that regard.
Next, the company aims to refine its product strategy around specific use cases while exploring multifunctional designs. On the sales front, content-driven e-commerce is set to feature heavily, with short videos, live streams, and community engagement becoming key channels. Goodbaby is investing early to secure its position.
By combining strong design, high safety standards, and localized operations, Goodbaby is positioning itself to ride Southeast Asia’s premium parenting wave, opening new growth avenues while reinforcing its global resilience.
KrASIA Connection features translated and adapted content that was originally published by 36Kr. This article was written by 36Kr Chuhai.