Off-trade booming in Beijing

Specialist importers are making waves in China’s capital as consumers benefit from last year’s ban on restaurants charging corkage fees.

Claudia Maseuger (standing) and Helene Ponty discuss Bejing’s off-trade successes

Speaking at the Wine in China conference hosted by Meiburg Wine Media in Hong Kong, Helene Ponty who moved to Beijing in 2012 to import her family’s winery Le Ponty Wines in Canon Fronsac acknowledged that Beijing has had to “up its game” since the austerity measures were put in place by President Xi Jinping.

“It was certainly heavily affected in the beginning but this has meant that it has opened the doors for less expensive wines and different styles to enter the market.

“Specialist wine importers have become popular, there is a retail store La Cava which only sells Chilean wine, Le Ponty Wines obviously with Fronsac, Australian Natural for Australian organic and biodynamic,  Pinotage for South African and Seina for Grower Champagne. In-store themed evenings have been successful as they give the consumer an overview of a region that they may not have come across before. If they leave the store with a bottle and having learned something, they are more likely to come back and buy even more next time.”

Last year the Government put a ban on restaurants charging corkage fees which freed up consumers to take in multiple bottles, and Ponty highlighted that red wine is still leading the way in terms of consumption though the retail price has dropped considerably.

“The retail price of the wines is likely to be between 100-250 RMB without high acidity and with a ‘good label’ though it doesn’t need to be from a really well-known brand.

“Dining has become more and more casual since the anti-corruption campaigns and customers are more likely to bring in several bottles of reasonably priced wine as opposed to one or two expensive labels.”

Staff training is also essential to the continued growth of wine retail, pointed out Claudia Masueger, CEO of Cheers Wines which operates as retail franchise throughout China.

“It’s so important to regularly train your staff, your partners, and your distributors. They are key to selling the wine to the new generation of younger wine drinkers who want to learn.

“In 2008, 80% of our wine was sold to the Government and to higher end consumers. Now that’s changed to targeting the 22-32 year olds who want to pick up a bottle of something fun. Retailers need to harness this new vibrant crowd and expose them to wines from all over the world.”