Since 2013, beer production capacity has been reduced, but craft beer has gradually heated up.
In the eyes of some alcohol practitioners, craft beer is low investment, high efficiency, and popular among young people.
Judging from the market performance in the past two years, there are more and more craft beer products and practitioners, and the market has gradually entered a period of consolidation, and the industry is becoming more and more volatile.
01
Craft beer at the capital outlet
Craft beer, formerly known as Craft Beer, literally translates to craft beer, homemade beer. The concept was first proposed by American winemakers, and in general it is small-scale, small-yielding, and traditional.
As a result, various beer companies, bar practitioners and foreign capital have entered the craft beer industry and launched various craft beers; The rush of capital into the game has pushed craft beer to the forefront.
According to the "2023 Craft Beer Industry Research Report", the consumption of craft beer is expected to reach 230,000 kiloliters in 2025, with a compound growth rate of 17%.
As of press time, with "craft beer" as the keyword, a total of 9,847 enterprises are still in existence/business on the enterprise search, and 722 craft brewing companies have been established in the past six months; from the perspective of investment and financing data, as of March 2024, a total of 61 financing events have occurred in the craft beer field, and the financing events of craft beer in the past three years account for more than 5% of the total number of financing events.
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Some dealers call craft brewing "the time to get on the bus"
In addition to the influx of capital, many liquor practitioners are also attracted by this boom and are eager to find business growth points.
Cheng Sheng, founder of Fujian Wine Castle, pointed out: "At present, the consumption of liquor and red wine has also been downgraded to a certain extent, and craft beer has become a profit supplement product for wine merchants. ”
"We've been making Fuguixiang craft beer for almost five years, and sales are going up every year. Now the momentum of red and white dyeing beer is very strong, and wine merchants are also aiming for all categories and all ranges. In particular, the beer channels in large circulation are monopolized by the beer oligarchy. Craft beer goes to the boutique track of making wine or liquor, and it is easier to open up the situation. Cheng Sheng said.
Niu Hao, the founder of Shanxi Xinghuo International Trade Co., Ltd., as a senior wine merchant, has recently launched a new product with Panda Craft Brewing - Xinghuo Panda Craft Beer, he proposed: "We are about to usher in the peak season of beer, we have been stocking, and now we are in the outbreak period of craft beer, which is a good time to get on the bus." ”
In addition, the expansion of new consumption scenarios has also brought new opportunities to craft beer.
Guo Fusheng, founder of the Tianjin I Love My Liquor Chain, said that the craft beer in his Meituan online store performed well, and popular brands such as Helens Craft Beer, Lost Coast and Roosevelt all grew in the first quarter. "In terms of sales, the 15 items of the Lost Coast have basically sold more than a dozen boxes in a single month and have been replenished. Other more high-end products such as double IPA and triple IPA have been repurchased by consumers up to 43 times. He is a popular circulation brand, and the gross profit can reach up to 40 yuan per box.
"A lot of craft beer lovers choose to buy at a small bar or supermarket near their home, but now that online instant delivery and cold drink services are available, they are more likely to buy online. Guo Fusheng said.
Shen Qiuju, the person in charge of the Zhongqiu Ju Liquor Store in Shaanxi Hanzhong, revealed: "The difference between red wine and beer is that the cost of trial and error in beer is lower, and store sales are better than online sales." ”
During the sugar and wine party, 1919 also brought a new business "craft beer bus", which appeared in the form of a "small and brisk" Internet celebrity truck. According to Zheng Guangxian, chairman of 1919 Digital Business Group, the current "craft beer +" model launched by 1919 is opening up "traffic + store + community" to achieve the layout of "heaven, earth and people".
03
Hidden worries under the heat
With such a hot track, not all of the influxes who have come and gone have made money. According to the spirits business, in 2015, many liquor merchants who joined the "imported craft beer" craze also returned home. "The craft brewing wind is blowing hot, and it may be the last chicken feather. Sun Yue, a liquor distributor in Shijiazhuang, directly expressed his disbelief in the future trend of craft brewing: "If you don't make money, it will be difficult to promote." He doesn't think there's a single leading brand in craft brewing.
Beer expert Ji Xiangdong expressed his concern about the craft beer craze, saying that the current craft beer produced by some breweries and workshops has an unstable taste and uneven quality. The health and safety of some enterprises has become an important issue. He's worried about a repeat of the '90s when craft beer went off and fell so fast.
At the same time, the short shelf life and low output have restricted the development of craft beer to a certain extent. Taking Schimbach as an example, the shelf life of bottled Schinbach is generally about 4 months, while the canned one is relatively longer, with a year of time. However, canned and bottled craft brews will always be inferior in freshness. The shelf life of craft brewed by common small workshops is only 7-20 days, and the sales cycle is very short.
In addition, due to the lack of high-tech professional craft brewing talents in the industry, coupled with the current domestic legal and regulatory requirements of the beer industry, it is also a hidden danger on its development path.
According to the analysis of industry insiders, the specifications are not clear, the standards are difficult to determine, the quality control and quality are uneven, and the craft brewing occupies a small population, so the output is small, which leads to high costs. At the same time, facing the problem of expiration date, if the dealer only sees the market heat and does not understand the operation model, it may lead to losses.
As Wang Jianyong, the brand officer of Jiangsu Mige Winery, said: "Some people are interested in the word 'craft brewing', and feel that the competition is not so fierce, and the logic behind it is still avoiding competition." Personally, I think that some people follow the trend of craft brewing, have ingredients that want to be tricky, or use differentiation to win. ”
In this regard, he gave some suggestions: "Know who this product is sold to, in what scene, what is the customer portrait, where is the base market? Is it a region or a channel, and how to make the brand deeply rooted in the hearts of the people in this base market?"
Liu Zhen, general manager of Shanghai Yuepu Industrial Co., Ltd., expressed concern about the current homogenization trend of craft beer: "The style of craft beer is diverse and distinctive, which means that it captures a finer individual, so when making a product, we must choose which type of customer group we serve. ”
Sun Jie, head of Giespor Craft Beer, said: "Everyone has taken root in the craft beer industry, and the homogenization of products is becoming more and more serious. Gispol is currently experimenting with different types of oak barrels to enrich the flavor of craft beer, sticking to its own line of quality and taste. No matter how the industry rolls up, providing consumers with high-quality specialty products is the right way. ”
Nowadays, many new entrants have adopted the OEM model to enter this track, and the price war has begun. The price of many 2L/1L craft beers on the Crooked Horse Liquor Delivery Platform is also decreasing, and the price of one-liter craft beer below 8 yuan can be seen everywhere in the supermarket.
In the communication of terminal retailers, they also paid attention: "The weather is warmer, beer is the best drainage product, so price is the core, this year there are more and more OEM, self-built breweries have also begun to increase." ”
The price war coupled with the potential problems of quality control of some manufacturers is still difficult to predict whether it will bring gray rhinoceros to the category on this tuyere.