Who is looking for Maotai and other high-end wine cheese

“The liquor industry is messy and it should really strengthen the industry's self-discipline. Moreover, the liquor industry is in blind expansion. You can go to Maotai Town and look at the factories that are under construction everywhere. All over the place, they are desperately packing themselves. After 5 years, the liquor industry will enter the 'Warring States period', when the price war will be launched on a large scale, and liquor companies will enter a brutal elimination campaign, said Xiao Zhuqing, assistant chairman of Hainan Coconut Island Group.

Excessive packaging, false propaganda, cultural chaos, and counterfeit infringement have caused the liquor industry to fall into a random battle. Recently, the dispute over the trademark of the “national liquor Maotai” has been trapped and the interests have been transmitted. The Gujing Distillery (36.50, -0.30, -0.82%) has fallen into the matchmaking, and the Xifeng liquor industry has fallen into the turmoil of performance falsification.

Chaos "In order to contribute to the local GDP, many provincial governments have stopped drinking Maotai. Shaanxi drink Xifeng Super high-end products - master and master class national code Fengxiang, Hunan drinking ghost liquor internal reference, Jiangxi drink four special - Oriental rhyme, anyway, most of the provincial government has not to drink Maotai, of course, in addition to Guizhou." Xiaozhu Qing said to the Journal, Maotai, Wuliangye dominate the world situation was broken.

In addition to the tightening of the "Three Publics" consumer policy, Maotai also faced two fronts, the siege of high-end liquor and the challenges of local liquor companies.

Many local brands have pushed the high-end “dare” to a large scale, and Shi Xianbai’s flourishing Tang Dynasty series has positioned itself for thousands of dollars. Honglou Meng Wine Co., Ltd. introduced Yongle's ancient cellar wine, which can be sold for more than 50,000 yuan. Only exquisite packaging is valuable. "The concept has played a great role in the marketing of high-end liquor." Someone in the industry broke it. These white wines with expensive labels are either "classic" or "hidden", as well as "ancient cellar," "collection," and "enclosed altar," and vintage sensations are already outdated.

This is obviously a cheese for high-end sake such as Maotai.

“The current core competition in the liquor industry is the competition between national brands and regional high-end products of strong brands.” Liang Lixian, director of Guangxi Danquan Wine Marketing Co., Ltd., told Xinhua Finance reporter that the country’s restrictions “Sangong” consumption has caused a lot of reactions in the liquor industry, but the actual impact on the liquor industry has not been imagined by the industry. Compared to the economic environment, it is only a minor episode and it is a local episode. Liquor companies have brought opportunities, and local governments have also strongly supported local liquor companies.

However, Moutai still wanted to seize the market that was losing, so he created a bigger concept and raised it to the level of the trademark, which became a trick for Maotai.

In November of last year, under the invitation of Maotai, Fu Shuangjian, Deputy Director General of the State Administration for Industry and Commerce, Xu Ruibiao, Director of the Trademark Office of the State Administration for Industry and Commerce, and a training group composed of any supervisors of the SAIC Commercial Evaluation Committee went to the Moutai Group to "Maotai" trademark registration related matters to investigate and adjust? research.

It is not known how the blending was carried out, but after nine applications, Guotai Maotai finally got the pass in early July of this year. Over. There was a lot of public opinion.

This is not Maotai Group's first application for the "national liquor Maotai" trademark, but this time, it has been siege by many liquor companies. This may indicate that the competition between high-end liquor has become fierce. You can go to the market to see, packaging more than a luxury, more and more brand series, but no doubt, Maotai applied for national wine brand hit a lot of sorrows.

Maotai Group has used the slogan of “national liquor Maotai” for many years. The industry is also constantly buzzing and it is said that they used to be national banquets. But once this Maotai is successful, other wine enterprises can no longer use it, otherwise they will have to take a lawsuit.

“This kind of use of the national credit to endorse their own practices is an unfair competition that harms the interests of other liquor companies.” Xiao Zhuqing said to the reporter of “New Finance”.

“Maotai Group actually does not need to apply for national wine Maotai trademark.” Zhang Hua, an industry veteran, believes that this time his application for the “national liquor Maotai” trademark has taken a toll, but it has attracted so much doubt. Zhang Hua believes that the perception of the brand is based on the minds of consumers. The private sector has its own public opinion. It does not mean that it must be registered trademark, and “not recognized by consumers and not registered”.

"We should trust and cooperate with each other and complement each other and not vilify each other." Mao Tse's siege of his peers was about Wang Gu.

pressure

Rising prices, drunk driving, corruption, liquor industry is always a constant news point, but liquor companies do not care so much.

The turmoil in the Maotai trademark of the country’s wine has not been even. Maotai has started to raise prices after a short price correction, and it is 20% to 30%. Although this is not much of a concept for most consumers, most people cannot afford it. However, for Maotai, it is an opportunity to get out of trouble.

Maotai is plunged into its own broiled performance dilemma, because the government has stipulated that its growth rate this year must reach 51% or more. This is almost hand in hand in the period of soaring prices, but under the influence of the weak economy and the "three-public" consumption policy, Maotai Obviously felt the pressure.

Maotai listed companies' revenue and profit growth in the second quarter of this year were 29% and 33%, respectively, which was lower than the growth rate of 42.5% and 57.6% in the first quarter. Advance receipts decreased by 1.73 billion yuan from the previous quarter to 4.05 billion yuan, a decrease of 2.98 billion yuan from the beginning of the year, and operating pressures appeared. To achieve the full-year growth target, the company needs to increase by 62.5% in the second half of the year.

As early as April of this year, Maotai in many places experienced a sharp drop in prices. At that time, the 53-degree flying Maotai was a straight drop of 400 yuan per bottle.

“The reduction in local government projects has indeed affected the speed of Moutai’s terminal shipments, although this has not yet affected the speed of Moutai’s own shipments,” said Xiao Zhuqing.

In the unlikely event that the growth in the number is unlikely, Maotai can increase its profits only if it raises prices. According to analysts in the industry, the price adjustment is Maotai’s preparation in advance to seize the sales season in the second half of the year and increase net profit.

The soaring price of Moutai is almost a myth. It took more than ten years and a bottle of Moutai rose from more than 100 yuan to more than 2,000 yuan. At present, it is high sideways.

Not only that, the price increase is a double-edged sword for Maotai.

The past factory price of Maotai was 619 yuan, and the channel price was 1,519 yuan, of which 900 yuan was in the hands of dealers. Therefore, Maotai price increase can recover channel profits, control the consumer terminal market, and gain more right to speak.

From the beginning of the first quarter of this year, the shipment prices of Maotai Terminals across the country have dropped dramatically. At the same time, as Moutai vigorously established direct-operated stores, some dealers felt threatened and began to throw cargo. The industry exposed 53 degrees flying Maotai 1200 yuan was thrown by some dealers.

“Originally we had old Maotai, which was Maotai before 2000. Now we are not afraid to accept it. The price has dropped too sharply.” A friend of Maotai’s collection introduced it.

Before Maotai had already proposed to the distributors, they were required to strictly observe the guiding price of not less than RMB 1,519, otherwise they would face severe punishment.

However, shipments from all over the country have further intensified the price reduction forecast, and the price decline remains. "The high-end liquor actually depends on public spending and gift-giving. The current liquor bubble is bigger than real estate!" said one manager who had been in the liquor business for more than 20 years. In his view, the "Three Greatest" consumption is tight, and high-end liquor distributors are the first to stand still. Once prices fall, they are often thrown faster in order to quickly ship, causing a sharp drop in market prices.

Some industry insiders believe that Maotai price increase will increase the number of direct-operated stores, online stores and other means to achieve the goal of manufacturers mastering consumer terminals, boosting the market, and gaining more voice.

Pull out

The price adjustment is also the adjusted ex-factory price, and the terminal guidance price has not been adjusted, which will directly reduce the dealer's profit margin.

"From this time it only proposes the factory price, not to mention the market guide price, we can see that it is to change the channel's commercial price difference is too unhealthy, to ensure the long-term stable and healthy development of the market." Liang Lixian said.

"A month later, the terminal price of Maotai will also increase, there is a conduction process." Xiaozhu Qing said.

Now, for Moutai, the situation is still in control, so it must be done.

Industry insider Liang Lixian introduced that the relationship between Maotai and distributors is somewhat different from that of other liquor manufacturers. The dealers rely on the Maotai brand and resist the control price of Maotai through various means; the price of Maotai market has been continuously rising, but it has not benefited from it. Many, as manufacturers, it is dangerous to lose control of the market. Therefore, Maotai wants to grasp the initiative of the market by establishing self-operated stores and raising the factory price. Such behavior will naturally affect the direct interests of distributors. However, in the short term, the dependence of dealers on Maotai will still exist. After all, Maotai is the leader of what is called "hard currency".

But will Maotai price increase affect the shipment?

“Maotai is different from ordinary fast-moving consumer goods, and it already possesses the characteristics of luxury goods. It also has a certain investment value. So many people are buying or not buying. Of course, government’s official consumption will not care about price increases, so the price increase is not only Will not affect sales, but will speed up the shipping speed." Industry insiders.

In fact, behind the Moutai price increase is the pressure of inventory and quick cash recovery. Maotai semi-annual report shows that its advance receipts decreased by 2.982 billion yuan. After deducting advance payment, the company’s revenue in the first half of the year only increased by 2.59%, and the cash received for sales of products and labor services increased by only 8.57%, and the cash flow decreased by 31.3% year-on-year. 4.46 billion yuan, inventory increased by 31.4% year-on-year to 7.774 billion yuan.

“A common practice in the industry is that before each winery price increases, super agents or core agents will be notified in advance, and when prices will be raised, prices will be forwarded to enjoy the old prices at this time; agents will generally borrow or even borrow loan sharks. Before the price hike, each price increase of the winery is actually 'pressing goods' to the channel, and a price increase can even press the goods for half a year to a year.” According to industry sources.

Moreover, many dealers have limited capital strength, and the more expensive the one who gets the price increases first.

“These agents who operate multi-brand liquors at the same time often have limited funds. After a large number of brands such as Maotai are stocked, they naturally have little funds to run other competitive products. This disguisely displaces the market,” said the industry insider.

“In January, Chinese liquor will rise up a lot! Many high-end liquors are also brewing up prices, such as Xifeng Wine.” With regard to the impact of Maotai prices, Xiao Zhuqing stated to the journal that high-end liquor is already a rigid demand. History tells us that The more sluggish economy, the more constrained the liquor industry is, because some people drink alcohol and others send alcohol opportunities.

“Now the days of liquor companies are still very good. Everyone is expanding their production capacity. But after four or five years, after this round of production capacity is released, I estimate that the price war will kick in.” Xiao Zhuqing said.