Thirty years, for a cause, is the accumulation from start to maturity; Thirty years, for an industry, is a deep transformation from chaos to order; In 2025, the China Alcoholic Drinks Association (CADA) marks its 30th anniversary. Over the past three decades, the association has witnessed the profound transformation of China's alcoholic drinks circulation industry from "planned allocation" to "market allocation," and from "channel dominance" to "consumer sovereignty." Throughout this process, the association has been both a recorder and a promoter, steadily advancing the industry onto the track of high-quality development.

The Changing Landscape of China's Alcoholic Drinks Industry over Thirty Years

Over thirty years, China's alcoholic drinks industry has advanced with the times. Whether in capacity, brands, or market structure, tremendous changes have occurred. The extensive management style of the past, relying on manual transport and channel stuffing, has gradually given way to new models centered on brand operation, digital channels, and user orientation.

It can be said that every change in circulation methods has been an upgrade driving the industry forward.

1. Exploration Period (1995-2004)

In 1988, the state liberalized the "dual-track price system," allowing distilleries to set their own prices and find their own sales channels instead of relying on government unified procurement and sales. For individual liquor merchants who were still "small, scattered, and chaotic," this was both an opportunity and a challenge. Professional liquor wholesale markets emerged as a result, ushering in the era of "large-scale circulation."

In 1995, Qinchui Distillery won the "bid champion" for CCTV advertising with 66.66 million yuan. The following year, Qinchui's sales reached 950 million yuan, a fivefold increase, as consumer demand for baijiu rose rapidly. In the same year, Wuliangye opened China's first baijiu brand specialty store, attempting to build the brand with unified image and service, marking the beginning of "branding" exploration in baijiu sales.

In 2001, China joined the WTO, and foreign supermarkets such as Carrefour, Walmart, and Trust-Mart quickly entered the domestic market. Alcoholic products were no longer only sold through wholesale markets but appeared on supermarket shelves, competing alongside beverages and snacks. Local liquor distributors rapidly rose across the country.

However, with more channels, new problems followed: Were prices chaotic? Was quality guaranteed? It seemed even harder to regulate the industry.

2. High-Speed Growth Period (2005-2012)

Starting in 2005, the alcoholic drinks industry entered a "golden development period," with famous liquor enterprises rising strongly and channel power growing in tandem.

In 2005, Huazhi Liquor Store emerged, advocating the slogan "authenticity guaranteed"—no more worries about counterfeit liquor when buying! Within just five years, it opened nearly 300 stores, and channels began to formalize.

After 2010, e-commerce platforms like Jiuxian.com and 1919 emerged. Young people, reluctant to go to supermarkets, could order liquor via mobile phones. Liquor enterprises began shifting from "competing on output" to "competing on value" and "competing on channels," and the circulation system further advanced toward scale and specialization.

In 2011, baijiu production exceeded 10 million kiloliters, with revenue reaching 374.7 billion yuan, and the camp of hundred-billion-yuan liquor enterprises began to take shape.

In 2012, Moutai's revenue caught up with Wuliangye, and its net profit surpassed it by 40%. Moutai was not just a bottle of liquor; it was shaped as a "scarce luxury item"—hard to buy, eagerly sought after, with prices soaring. Since then, the "Mao-Wu-Jian" (Moutai, Wuliangye, Jiannanchun) formed a new brand landscape.

3. Adjustment and Transformation Period (2013-Present)

In 2013, changes in the policy environment had a strong impact on the high-end liquor market, with market prices nearly halved, and the industry entered a destocking cycle.

According to data from the National Bureau of Statistics, the production of baijiu enterprises above designated size fell from 12.57 million kiloliters in 2014 to 4.15 million kiloliters in 2024, a decrease of 67% over ten years. Beer production also declined from its peak of 50.615 million kiloliters in 2013 to 35.555 million kiloliters in 2024.

Although overall sales volume declined, circulation methods underwent tremendous changes. Starting in 2020, affected by the pandemic, online sales rose rapidly. For example, "Waima Songjiu" focuses on "30-minute delivery," and Douyin live-streaming liquor sales can clear a small enterprise's monthly inventory in one session. These new models gave previously unnoticed small brands the opportunity to quickly break out.

In 2022, the new national standard was implemented, raising product thresholds and further concentrating the market toward quality brands. The era of relying solely on channels to dominate the market is over; those who better understand consumers and provide better services and experiences will have the advantage.

Standing Firm Amid Change: The China Alcoholic Drinks Association Walks Alongside

Throughout thirty years of transformation, the China Alcoholic Drinks Association has always accompanied the industry's growth, experiencing storms and embracing changes together with liquor merchants.

In 1998, a serious counterfeit liquor incident occurred in Shuozhou, Shanxi, causing nationwide uproar and making everyone realize that there were many loopholes in liquor market supervision.

The "Measures for the Administration of Alcoholic Drinks Circulation" implemented in 2006 required that every bottle of liquor have complete records from production to sale, ensuring full traceability, providing more effective guarantees for the quality and safety of alcoholic products.

Throughout this process, the association served as a bridge between the government and enterprises. On one hand, it went into enterprises to explain national policies clearly and ensure implementation; on the other hand, it fed back the real needs and opinions of enterprises to relevant departments, helping the industry transition from the past state of "scattered, chaotic, and inefficient" to "standardized, orderly, efficient, and transparent."

In November 2012, the baijiu "plasticizer" incident broke out, causing market panic and severely impacting baijiu consumption, pushing the entire industry to the forefront again. Facing the industry's difficulties, the association responded promptly to the market, calmed emotions, and helped everyone stabilize and regain confidence.

This year, the association has also continued to make efforts in standardization, initiating the formulation of three group standards: "Management Standards for Alcoholic Drinks Retail Chain Operations," "Evaluation Requirements for Star-rated Alcoholic Drinks Stores," and "Professional Requirements for Alcoholic Drinks Retail Store Managers." These provide a clearer and more practical operational guide for alcoholic drinks retail terminals, standardizing store operations.

At the same time, the association has successively held events such as the China Alcoholic Drinks Retail Chain Summit and the China Alcoholic Drinks Industry Consumption Forum, becoming an important platform for many "new force" liquor brands to showcase, engage in industry dialogue, and connect resources.

Over thirty years, the association has not only witnessed industry progress but also actively participated, maintaining market order and leading the steady advancement of the alcoholic drinks circulation market.

Looking Back, Embracing the Future

At thirty, one stands firm—not only looking back but also looking forward.

Recently, the China Alcoholic Drinks Association held the launch ceremony for its 30th anniversary series, officially releasing the event LOGO. Going forward, the association will take "promoting consumption" as its starting point, centered on the core concept of "for a better life," and carry out a series of promotional activities for individuals, enterprises, and excellent cases.

1. Paying Tribute to Promoters: Recording People, Enterprises, and Spiritual Strength

Meritorious 30 People and Pilot Plan: Pay tribute to representative figures and outstanding enterprises that have made significant contributions to the alcoholic drinks industry over the past thirty years, inspiring more practitioners to keep moving forward.

Future Partner Plan: Discover new forces with ideas and potential, provide them with support and assistance, and help them grow faster and go further.

Trusted Friendly Partners of Liquor Merchants: Based on the "China Baijiu Manufacturer Friendliness Index," recommend trustworthy liquor enterprises and create models of a shared future community for manufacturers and distributors.

2. Summarizing Successful Experiences: Inheriting Classics, Tapping Potential, Inspiring the Future

30 Classic Cases of Alcoholic Drinks Circulation: Sort out typical innovative models of circulation and summarize successful experiences that can be replicated and referenced.

30 Classic Products: Focus on representative products that have endured in the market and maintained leading sales, analyzing the business logic behind them.

30 Future Products: Explore "new products" with market prospects, providing direction for industrial upgrading.

3. Creating a Series of IP Activities Around Three Dimensions: Product Innovation, Scenario Construction, and Ecosystem Integration

30 Integrated Tourism Destinations for Liquor and Travel: Promote representative destinations that integrate liquor and tourism, driving local economies.

30th Anniversary Co-branded Products: Collaborate with representative enterprises in categories to launch limited-edition cultural co-branded products, using IP empowerment to strengthen brand memory and inject new growth points into the market.

Golden Autumn Fine Liquor Consumption Season: Through integrated online and offline omni-channel activities, cover major cities nationwide, creating a consumption boom throughout the year.

Final Thoughts

Standing at a new starting point, the development of China's alcoholic drinks circulation industry must not only inherit the experience accumulated by the older generation of liquor merchants but also inject the innovative strength of the younger generation. It also cannot do without a leading and cohesive industry organization to drive it forward.

With thirty years of effort, the China Alcoholic Drinks Association has accompanied the industry from its infancy to maturity, and it also carries people's understanding and pursuit of a "better life."

Currently, the association's various promotional activities have officially entered the registration stage. Alcoholic drinks production enterprises, circulation enterprises, and other related units are all eligible to register and participate.

At the end of the year, the China Alcoholic Drinks Association will also hold a 30th anniversary summary conference to comprehensively showcase the phased achievements of consumption promotion efforts. Let us together embark on a new journey for the next thirty years!