Spotlight at Asia Food Exhibition: Evolving Consumer Preferences Reshape Drinking Culture  

China's traditional alcoholic beverage market is undergoing significant transformation as changing consumer preferences and market dynamics create new challenges for established product categories.

Huangjiu's Strategic Pivot Through Product Innovation  

The traditional huangjiu (yellow wine) category is exploring innovative approaches to revitalize market presence. A notable development involves the creation of hybrid beverages that combine huangjiu with beer characteristics, representing a technological innovation in fermentation and product formulation. This cross-category experimentation aims to address huangjiu's dual challenges of regional consumption patterns and aging consumer demographics.

The collaboration leverages advanced brewing technology to bridge the gap between huangjiu's traditional 14°-20° alcohol content and beer's more accessible 3°-5% range. This technical innovation seeks to create products that maintain huangjiu's distinctive flavor profile while offering the drinkability of modern beer products.

Wine Market Adjustments and Product Diversification  

The wine segment, encompassing both domestic and imported products, is experiencing similar market pressures. Industry data shows a 12.67% decline in wine import volumes during the first half of 2025, reflecting broader market adjustments.

Domestic wine producers are responding through product diversification and technological upgrading. Some established winemakers are expanding into distilled spirits production, particularly brandy, which has demonstrated growth potential amid declining wine revenues. This strategic shift involves adapting wine production infrastructure and expertise to create new product categories that better align with evolving consumer preferences.

Evolving Consumption Patterns Reshape Market Dynamics

The transformation across traditional beverage categories reflects fundamental changes in Chinese drinking culture. Consumption occasions are shifting from formal banquets and business entertainment toward more casual, lifestyle-oriented settings. Emerging patterns include:

- Leisure consumption during evening meals and outdoor activities

- Social drinking in family and friend gatherings

- Personal consumption for mood enhancement and relaxation

These changing patterns particularly influence younger consumers' relationships with traditional alcoholic beverages, creating both challenges and opportunities for industry players.

As highlighted at Asia Food Exhibition, these market developments demonstrate how consumer behavior and technological innovation are collectively reshaping China's alcoholic beverage landscape, pushing traditional categories toward modernization and adaptation.

Source:www.toutiao.com

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