The 4th China Famous Liquor Conference Successfully Concludes, Discussing the "New Value Creation" in the Liquor Industry

[Global Network Consumption Report, Reporter Liu Xiaoxu] On March 22, the 4th China Famous Liquor Conference, themed “Heritage of Famous Liquors, New Value Birth,” was successfully held in Chengdu. Representatives from many new and old famous liquor enterprises gathered to explore the development path of Chinese famous liquors during this period of deep adjustment with industry experts.

Key Period of Bottoming Out and Building the Bottom

“The Chinese liquor industry is at a profound crossroads of transformation.” Yang Lulu, founder of Famous Liquor Time Space and initiator of the China Famous Liquor Conference, made this judgment in her speech. She mentioned that the iteration of consumption structure, the reshaping of market patterns, and the upgrading of cultural narratives, among multiple factors, have made the industry face unprecedented uncertainty. In particular, 2026 will be a key period for the Chinese liquor industry to deeply “explore the bottom” and actively “build the bottom” amid cyclical fluctuations and structural changes.

In this broader context, industry competition has shifted from simple scale expansion to competition for existing markets and even contraction. Yang Lulu believes that famous liquor companies must not only answer the question of “how to inherit” but also address the strategic issues of “what is the use of inheritance” and “how to be reborn” in a new market environment. “Heritage of Famous Liquors” is by no means a simple replication and maintenance, but rather requires deep rooting to safeguard the baseline of quality and the essence of culture; “New Value Birth” is also not merely a simple reconstruction of value, but involves upward growth, seeking new growth paradigms within differentiation. Inheritance and rebirth constitute the dual driving forces of value growth for Chinese famous liquors.

Differentiation and Long-Term Thinking Progress Together

In the face of deep adjustments in the industry, famous liquor companies have also provided valuable experiences. Zhang Zhaohong, general manager of Moutai (Group) Ecological Agriculture Industry Development Co., Ltd., stated that the Chinese liquor industry is undergoing profound adjustments, and “New Value Birth” has already begun. He particularly mentioned the “new liquor drinks,” which are centered on health and self-pleasure, believing that this is the most vibrant part of the current liquor industry wave. In Zhang Zhaohong’s view, new liquor drinks are not just product innovation but also an expression of a lifestyle, which will become a key new engine driving the industry towards high-quality, sustainable development, bringing a new growth curve to Moutai and the entire liquor industry.

Unlike Moutai’s diversification exploration, Zhang Yichao, general manager of Hunan Wuling Liquor Co., Ltd., shared how famous sauce liquor can achieve breakthroughs through “subtraction” and “seeking differences.” He bluntly stated that while sauce liquor is still a good category, blindly following trends has no future. Wuling Liquor has explored a new path of rebirth through “four differences” — different positioning, focusing on high quality and high price; different philosophy, prioritizing people before business; different model, a short-chain direct 509 model; and different original intention, creating value for the BC end. “Reducing some following and increasing some differences may make the difference between success and failure,” Zhang Yichao’s viewpoint articulates the essence of seeking differentiation in intense competition.

For Mogao Co., Ltd., the keyword is persistence. Niu Jijun, party secretary and chairman of Gansu Mogao Industrial Development Co., Ltd., stated, “The new value birth of old famous liquors is a marathon, not a sprint.” He emphasized that Mogao has persisted for over forty years and will continue to do so in the future. When the tide of the industry recedes, only those brands that truly take root, uphold quality, and embrace trends can weather the cycles.

Xu Wei, chairman of Heger Consulting Group and strategic advisor for CCTV’s National Brand, further dissected practical routes in his thematic sharing. He pointed out that the path to breaking through for old famous liquors mainly consists of three positioning strategies: C, B, and BC, leading to three different models of innovation. For regional new famous liquors, it is essential to fully open up local consumption scenarios such as self-drinking, hospitality, gifts, and specialties. “Only by deeply engaging with scenarios can effective breakthroughs be made.” Xu Wei’s viewpoint hits the current pain points for regional liquor enterprises — only by deeply cultivating local markets and thoroughly penetrating scenario consumption can a solid market moat be built.

New Liquor Drinks and New Retail Accelerate Rise

As “inheritance” and “rebirth” become the main themes, new liquor drinks and new retail are emerging as the most vibrant dual footnotes in this transformation, reconstructing the growth logic of the Chinese liquor industry.

Data is the most powerful proof. It is understood that the new liquor drink sector is rapidly expanding at a compound annual growth rate of 37.18%, with the market size reaching 135.1 billion yuan by 2025. Some believe that 2026 will be the inaugural year for the significant development of new liquor drinks. Senior liquor marketing expert and chairman of Fujian Zhongrun Jiutong Liquor Co., Ltd., Mou Lei, deeply analyzed the survival rules of the new liquor drink era: in the short term, it focuses on products and scenarios; whoever can launch good products will achieve sales; in the medium term, it considers quality and marketing, with solid quality and systematic marketing determining survival; in the long term, it looks at brand and culture, as only brand and culture can win the long-term market.

Li Tong, founder and chairman of Huace Consulting, provided a “certain answer” regarding the future of new liquor drinks. He believes that new liquor drinks represent the direction of future category segmentation in the liquor industry, not merely a fleeting trend, but currently still in the “early stages.” It requires a long cultivation time and cannot be achieved overnight. Li Xiaogang, founder of Zhongpi Craft Beer, also expressed as a practitioner that whether it is yellow wine or craft beer, there are significant opportunities ahead, with the key being a profound understanding of consumers and a commitment to long-termism.

While new liquor drinks reshape the product side, new retail is reshaping the channel side. Chen Minghui, chairman of Mingpin Shijia Liquor Chain Co., Ltd., pointed out that new retail has become an important channel for the liquor industry after years of development. Mingpin Shijia is leveraging an advanced smart new retail model and value empowerment capabilities to accelerate the flow and transformation of value in the liquor industry, achieving win-win outcomes for multiple parties. Lin Feng, chairman of Beijing Jundu Consulting, proposed the idea of building a C chain and creating high-energy brands, believing that whoever can establish a triad relationship between first-line business, terminals, and consumers will win the future.

The Chinese liquor industry is transitioning from a “single center” to a “diverse ecology,” upholding the foundations of quality and culture in inheritance while embracing consumer transformation and technological dividends in rebirth. This is not only the way for famous liquor enterprises to navigate cycles but also the essential path for the Chinese liquor industry to achieve value reshaping and move towards high-quality development.