--- title: "529.1 Billion! Wahaha's 2016 Report Card: Still the Beverage Leader!" description: "According to the 'Zheshang National 500' list released by Zheshang Magazine, Wahaha ranked 23rd with revenue of 52.91 billion yuan in 2016, down 11 places from last year, with a growth rate of -6.5%. Despite a slight decline, Wahaha remains the top beverage company in China, while Nongfu Spring saw a 19% increase to 15 billion yuan." author: "New Distribution" publisher: "New Distribution" email: "zhaobo258@gmail.com" telephone: "+8615854817671" published: "2017-06-11" language: "en" canonical: "https://xinjignxiao.com/en/articles/529-1-billion-wahaha-s-2016-report-card-still-the-beverage-leader-d5eeb5e4/" markdown: "https://xinjignxiao.com/en/articles/529-1-billion-wahaha-s-2016-report-card-still-the-beverage-leader-d5eeb5e4.md" original_source: "https://mp.weixin.qq.com/s/XfdWp3-coZJc155VBzV7OA" translation: "https://xinjignxiao.com/zh/articles/529-1%E4%BA%BF-%E5%A8%83%E5%93%88%E5%93%882016%E5%B9%B4%E6%88%90%E7%BB%A9%E5%8D%95-%E9%A5%AE%E6%96%99%E8%80%81%E5%A4%A7%E4%BB%8D%E5%9C%A8-d5eeb5e4.md" attribution: "New Distribution — https://xinjignxiao.com/en/articles/529-1-billion-wahaha-s-2016-report-card-still-the-beverage-leader-d5eeb5e4/" usage_policy: "https://xinjignxiao.com/ai-policy.txt" --- # 529.1 Billion! Wahaha's 2016 Report Card: Still the Beverage Leader! > According to the 'Zheshang National 500' list released by Zheshang Magazine, Wahaha ranked 23rd with revenue of 52.91 billion yuan in 2016, down 11 places from last year, with a growth rate of -6.5%. Despite a slight decline, Wahaha remains the top beverage company in China, while Nongfu Spring saw a 19% increase to 15 billion yuan. Click image for details > **Foreword:** Recently, Zheshang Magazine released the "Zheshang National 500" list, with several well-known food companies listed. Among them, Wahaha ranked 23rd with revenue of 52.91 billion yuan in 2016, down 11 places from last year's 12th, with a growth rate of -6.5%. The list shows Nongfu Spring's 2016 revenue was 15 billion yuan. So, has Wahaha fallen? **Nongfu Spring Surges, Wahaha Slightly Declines** The reason Zheshang is known as the "world's number one business group" is inseparable from its numbers and influence. In the 2015 China Top 500 Private Enterprises list released by the All-China Federation of Industry and Commerce, Zhejiang led the country with 134 companies. Well-known Zheshang entrepreneurs include Geely's Li Shufu, Alibaba's Jack Ma, Wahaha's Zong Qinghou, and Nongfu Spring's Zhong Shanshan. This time, Nongfu Spring's performance was disclosed again after last year, with a figure of 15 billion yuan, a 19% increase from last year. Wahaha's growth rate was -6.5%, with revenue dropping to 52.91 billion yuan, and its ranking also fell to 23rd. But from Wahaha's report card, the beverage leader is still here! **Problems in Development, Beverage Leader Still Here** China's beverage industry once grew crazily, maintaining a growth rate of over 20% before 2011. Wahaha was a mainstream player. Zong Qinghou started from scratch in the 1980s by consignment-selling soda and popsicles, building a huge food and beverage group over 30 years. In an era shifting from channel-centric to content-centric, almost all traditional enterprises have suffered setbacks. As an ultimate success case of the channel-centric era, Wahaha faces greater impacts than others. Not only Wahaha, but in recent years, traditional FMCG giants like Master Kong, Uni-President, Want Want, and the two cola companies have mostly been declining. It's not that they have major problems, but that the market has changed and consumers have changed. After experiencing the embarrassment of the first performance decline in 2012, in 2015, hit by online rumors, aging of big products like Nutrition Express, and lack of new star products to take over, Wahaha faced revenue decline. The beverage aircraft carrier Wahaha entered a deep adjustment period. Zong Qinghou admitted that the real economy is facing a cold winter and that Wahaha has encountered some difficulties, but the prospects are very optimistic. In 2017, Wahaha's distributor conference kicked off grandly and launched 7 series with 18 new products to compete in the 2017 beverage market. In addition, using OAO to disrupt the internet, crystal diamond water to support the G20 summit, increasing vending machines with momentum, and putting ads on 30 billion bottles... This is an industry leader that no one can shake and that challenges itself. This is a giant enterprise that sticks to its main business and moves forward with small steps. This company, established in 1987, has now gone through 30 years. When Wahaha faces a new generation of consumer power and the wave of brand rejuvenation surges, it is gradually changing! **Overnight Riches or Down-to-Earth** The media likes to focus on "overnight riches." Now many food companies are going public, and many people congratulate them on their success. In the eyes of these so-called "investors," "success" means cashing out and wealth explosion. But China's first generation of entrepreneurs is not like that. Few of them actively turned to business unless forced by life. What they relied on when starting their businesses was instinctive impulse and the urgency to make up for lost time. For example, Zong Qinghou had both life pressure and inner drive when he started his business. The combination of these two forces, supplemented by his talent, courage, and effort, plus a little luck, made him the "China's richest man" today. Compared to the title of "China's richest man," Zong Qinghou as a symbol is far more valuable than Zong Qinghou as a wealthy man; Zong Qinghou as an old man is more valuable than the "youth mentors" of the BAT giants. Wahaha is a miracle, from a school-run factory selling water to topping the rich list. Zong Qinghou is diligent and autocratic in his business empire. It is also because of his strong leadership that there seems to be no other figure within Wahaha who can stand on their own. At the same time, it is undeniable that Wahaha has also encountered bottlenecks in the rapidly changing market. The initial dilemma was a single product line with increasingly thin profits. To break this deadlock, Wahaha made many attempts but ultimately no substantial change. Reality is cruel, and the market is always unpredictable. Wahaha may face even greater challenges in the future. **30 Years: Please Give Wahaha Some Understanding** "Wahaha has been insisting on the real economy for many years, believing that the real economy truly creates wealth," Zong Qinghou said. Wahaha will continue to focus on its main business and develop the real economy. Zong Qinghou said, "Now is the opportunity to develop high-end manufacturing." He firmly believes that a new round of reform dividends will bring new opportunities for enterprise development. As a representative of the real economy, Wahaha has established more than 80 production bases nationwide, with cumulative taxes paid exceeding 50 billion yuan over 30 years, and at most paying over 7 billion yuan in taxes in a single year. Zong Qinghou revealed that Wahaha also plans to enter the high-tech industry, is preparing to build a high-tech innovation town, will establish a research institute to transform the scientific research results of Hangzhou Wahaha Research Institute into productive forces, and will set up a science and technology exchange center in the innovation town to contribute to professional upgrading. 2017 is the year Wahaha turns 30. As a leading enterprise in the beverage industry, it is time for Wahaha to make new explorations and set an example for the upgrading and leapfrogging of Chinese brands. **Source: Shiyejia (Food Industry Entrepreneur)** **New Distribution's "7th B-end E-commerce Study Tour" is now recruiting!** Activity process: > June 19-23, Suzhou·Shanghai·Hangzhou 19th: Check in at designated hotel in Suzhou; 20th: Visit Suzhou Maidlin; 21st: Visit Shanghai Hd; 22nd: Visit Hangzhou Wangcang; 23rd: Return or free arrangement for sightseeing; **Distributor friends interested in transformation are welcome to join us for understanding and on-site inspection:** **Organization format** 1. Company visit 2. Actual market case visit 3. On-site explanation 4. One-on-one communication Participating distributor friends only need to pay a registration fee of 200 yuan Other expenses are self-paid Long press this QR code or click read original text to register **Long press QR code to add WeChat for registration** **Group photos from previous inspections:** **6th B-end e-commerce inspection group photo, from top to bottom: Zhongke Shangruan, Shuhai Supply Chain, Yunmei Shares, Yishang Logistics.** **5th B-end e-commerce inspection group photo, from top to bottom: Huiwangxing, Beiquan, Tongying Tianxia, Quanshihui, Zhongke Shangruan.** **4th B-end e-commerce inspection group photo, from top to bottom: Alibaba Retail Link, Qianmi Network.** **3rd B-end e-commerce inspection group photo, from top to bottom: Yunbao Shangmeng, Weijie City Distribution, Wanshang Yizhan.** **2nd B-end e-commerce inspection group photo, from top to bottom: Jinhuobao, Caiba, Yishang.** **1st B-end e-commerce inspection group photo, from top to bottom: Piduoduo, Beiquan, Yishang.** **Click read original text to register** -END- --- ## Copyright and AI use This article is sourced from New Distribution. Search, quotation, summarization, and model training are permitted, but every use must credit New Distribution and retain the canonical source URL. Contact: zhaobo258@gmail.com · +86 158 5481 7671