Preamble:
In China's huge liquor market, alcoholic liquor used to be the darling of the industry, winning many fans both in terms of flavor diversity and affordability. However, the wheel of history is rolling forward, and market changes and policy adjustments are like Saccharomyces cerevisiae in spirits, which has quietly triggered the fermentation and transformation of the liquor industry.
From the competition between rice wine and liquor, to the rise and fall of Niulanshan and the old village chief, to the implementation of the new national standard, every change is a big wave in the history of the industry. We're about to explore the stories behind these transitions and demystify alcohol.
Food and liquor: the entanglement of history
In China's long history, baijiu is not only a drink, it is a carrier of culture and a symbol of tradition. But behind this, there is an untold story: the complex relationship between grain and liquor. Once, in the era of food shortages, the brewing of every drop of baijiu was accompanied by controversy and challenges. Why did people insist on making wine in those years?
In the contest between rice wine and liquor, grain has become a key factor in the competition between the two. Rice wine, an ancient form of liquor in China, consumes a lot of grain to produce, but the flexibility of baijiu has shown an unparalleled advantage in the crisis.
Even in the period when food was most scarce, liquor found room for survival and development through blending and other means. This is not only an optimal allocation of resources, but also an innovation and breakthrough in traditional brewing technology.
However, this story of grain and liquor is far from over. As baijiu gradually dominates the market, how will its development affect China's drinking culture and the use of food resources?
This question not only affects the fate of the distillery, but also the daily life of thousands of families. Over time, baijiu has gone from being a simple drink to a cultural icon, and the story behind it has become more and more fascinating.
The Rise and Fall of Alcohol: The Story of Niulanshan and the Old Village Chief
In the world of Chinese liquor, Niulanshan and the old village chief used to be household names. Their story is like an epic of rise, glory, challenge and transformation.
But when the new national standard swept through the liquor industry like a spring breeze, the two giants faced not only a reshuffle of the market, but also a huge change in consumer attitudes.
Niulanshan, a brand that once sold well across the country, is known for its affordability and has become a regular guest at the table of ordinary people. But just when its sales soared and seemed unstoppable, the implementation of the new national standard made Niulanshan encounter unprecedented challenges.
The change in standards forced Niulanshan to adjust its product mix, which affected its market performance. The decline in sales is not only a decrease in numbers, but also symbolizes the end of an era. This is not just a crisis for one brand, but a microcosm of the transformation of the entire alcohol industry.
The story of the old village chief is equally magnificent. As the pride of the Northeast region, the old village chief once had a good performance in sales and popularity throughout the country.
However, with the increasing demand of consumers for wine quality and the implementation of the new national standard, the old village chief has also encountered a bottleneck in development. The suspicion of alcohol in the market is getting louder and louder, and the sales and brand image of the old village chief are also affected. This change is not only reflected in the financial report, but also reflects the importance that consumers attach to the quality and health of baijiu.
In the stories of these two brands, we can see the competition and cooperation within the industry, the fluctuations and changes in the market, and the shift in consumer preferences.
These factors are intertwined to form a complex picture of China's liquor industry. With the implementation of the new national standard, the entire industry is moving towards higher quality standards, and the story of Niulanshan and the old village chief reminds other brands: on the road of quality and brand building, no enterprise can stand still.
The impact of the new national standard: the reshuffle of the liquor industry
In 2021, a new national standard slapped the face of China's liquor industry like a resounding slap in the face. It's not just a simple specification change, it's an industry-wide test of quality, trust and the future. The implementation of the new national standard has undoubtedly brought an unprecedented impact on the alcoholic market, and has also pointed out the direction for the transformation and upgrading of the entire industry.
This new standard clearly stipulates that liquor must be pure grain liquor, and no food additives may be used. This regulation has not only reshaped consumers' perception of baijiu, but more importantly, it has forced companies that have long relied on alcohol additives to start re-examining and adjusting their production processes.
For some big brands, this is an opportunity to re-prove themselves, while for those who are small or rely on additives to survive, it can mean a doom or a transformation.
This reshuffle is not only a change in technology and production processes, but also a reshaping of the values of the entire industry. Consumers began to pay more attention to the quality and health of liquor, and the acceptance of alcoholic liquor gradually declined.
If companies want to survive in this new game, they must improve product quality, focus on brand building, and more importantly, build trust with consumers.
In this context, every player in the liquor industry has been forced to start self-innovation. From the selection of raw materials to the brewing process, from the brand image to the marketing, every link is undergoing unprecedented changes.
This change is fraught with challenges, but it is also fraught with opportunities. For businesses that can quickly adapt to new rules and respond positively to market demands, the future is full of possibilities.
The Future of Alcohol: Exit or Transformation?
With the increasing demand of consumers for the quality of liquor and the strict supervision of policies, alcoholic liquor is facing unprecedented challenges to survive. This change is not just a simple adjustment of the market, but a contest between tradition and innovation, survival and obsolescence. In this contest, the future path of alcohol seems to go to two extremes: a complete exit or a complete transformation.
For some companies that are deeply involved in the field of alcoholic beverages, the transformation is not an easy task. It is undoubtedly a difficult battle to improve product quality and meet the requirements of the new national standard while maintaining cost advantages.
But the need for transformation is imminent, and only those companies that can quickly adjust their strategies and actively seek innovation will be able to gain a foothold in this big wave. Transformation can mean redefining product positioning, upgrading production processes, or even completely changing the brand image.
However, it seems that withdrawing from the stage of history is also a last resort for some alcohol brands. In the context of consumers' increasing pursuit of high-quality life, it is clear that low-cost, low-quality alcoholic liquor has gradually lost the market.
For this part of the enterprise, the future may rely more on market segmentation and Nicky, looking for specific consumer groups that still need low-cost alcohol.
In this discussion about the future of alcohol, one constant truth is that the choice of the market and consumers is always the strongest voice. Both transformation and exit are natural consequences of market and consumer behavior at a particular historical stage.
As we delve deeper into the future of the liquor industry, a clear trend is that improving product quality and meeting consumer needs will always be at the core of enterprise development, regardless of the future path.
Epilogue:
After a process from glory to challenge and then to repositioning, China's alcoholic liquor seems to be at a crossroads. The implementation of the new national standard is not only a re-examination of the traditional wine-making process, but also a redefinition of the market access threshold.
In this transformation, some brands may gradually disappear into the long river of history, while others may take the opportunity to reinvent and rejuvenate. But in any case, this chapter of the liquor industry will be recorded as a story of adaptation and innovation, tradition and future. Let's wait and see where this industry revolution will lead us.