Recently, a liquor distributor revealed to WBO: "There are plans to add new wine products this year. ”
"White dyes red" is not unusual, and it became a trend around 2010. But in the context of the current unfavorable liquor market, why should liquor distributors set their sights on wine? Is this an example? The WBO conducted a survey.
01
Wine is once again the liquor distributor's choice
"We have been operating liquor brands, including some high-end famous liquors. But this year we are going to add some new wines. Lv Jiajie, deputy general manager of Anhui Huajie Liquor, a provincial distributor with more than 30 distribution customers, said.
Lu Jiajie said frankly: "We are currently in contact with some large domestic and foreign operators, and we will choose some wines at different prices to meet all kinds of customer groups. As far as I know, not only our company has such a plan this year, but many peers in Anhui are planning to add new wine categories. ”
Diao Weijun, founder of Sichuan Jijia Liquor, told WBO: "The company mainly deals in liquor brands, and wine accounts for a small proportion, but this year it plans to adjust and enrich the wine category." He further emphasized: "The current selection follows the principle of 'one high and one low', with high-end products and entry-level products as the mainstay. Low-end wines will become a direction of the company's selection in the near future, which is also based on the fact that we have fewer low-end products. At the same time, there are also new plans for Australian wines, especially well-known products such as Penfolds. At present, it is also actively communicating with well-known domestic operators such as COFCO Mingzhuang Hui. Choosing channel products with brand power and certain liquidity is the company's future product selection direction. ”
A distributor in Zhejiang said: "We used to put most of our energy and money on baijiu, but we feel that baijiu is not 'rushing' now, and we will turn to wine next." ”
Another wine merchant said: "In the past, our selection was mainly based on mid-to-high-end products, and in the past two years, we will also consider some low-end and entry-level wines. ”
02
The return of the main line of wine brands and the low profit of liquor channels are the driving forces
At present, the entire liquor market is relatively weak, why do liquor distributors need to add new wine categories?
Wang Jianyong, general manager of Jiangsu Shengguo Wine Industry, said that he is recently in contact with some municipal and county-level liquor distributors with rich local distribution networks, and plans to connect with foreign brand wineries and boutique wineries to create a "base market for imported wine brands". He said: "The liquor base market has long been formed, and the competition has entered a white-hot stage. Wine is in the development stage and is dominated by trade. Only when foreign wineries and domestic distributors join forces, empower each other, and jointly build brands, can wine brands truly land and form brand power. ”
An industry insider pointed out: "The return of Australian wine to the Chinese market has brought a wave of heat to the current wine market, and wine merchants may have some expectations for the liberalization of Australian wine." ”
A wine broker who has lived in Australia for a long time also said: "Recently, many liquor distributors have contacted him and named him to be a low-end wine for big Australian brands. On the one hand, it is because of the downgrade of domestic consumption, and on the other hand, because products with brand power are easier to circulate. ”
It can be seen that the return of Australian wine to the Chinese market is also a "booster" for liquor distributors to turn to wine.
Lu Jiajie said frankly: "The liquor factories are strong, the distributors are too passive, and the compression of channel profits is also a very important reason. In particular, the high-end and ultra-high-end products of first-tier and second-tier famous liquors have been inverted seriously in the past two years, while the ex-factory price has continued to rise. For dealers, it can be said that there is basically no profit. ”
Diao Weijun also agrees with this point of view, he said: "Now the entire liquor market, especially liquor, most of the product channels are low profits or low profits, many products tend to have zero profits, and the famous liquor is seriously upside down. Compared with liquor, wine is still a category with higher profits, and wine can increase the profitability and opportunities of enterprises. This may be one of the reasons why distributors are willing to choose new wines. ”
Last year, the ex-factory price of famous liquor showed a collective upward trend, and the WBO conducted a survey of liquor distributors in various places. Many dealers said that although the ex-factory price was raised, the terminal price was upside down, and the final sacrifice was channel profits.
"Nowadays, consumer demand is becoming more and more fragmented and diversified, and in order to better meet market demand, liquor distributors are encouraged to expand their business projects. In addition, the current economic environment is uncertain, and dealers also want to introduce some new projects, or do some category reserves. Diao Weijun said.
Some industry experts also said that according to the international trend, when urbanization enters the middle and late stages, the declining birthrate and the single rate rises, low-alcohol alcohol will become a market trend. After 90 and 00, they will gradually prefer to drink low-alcohol alcohol. Not only wine, but also rice wine will gradually expand the market and audience, which is also a reason for the main liquor distributors to increase the wine category.