Consumer curiosity often drives purchasing decisions. On an evening in April, a netizen named "Xiaohua" was observing outside a Banmaxia unbranded liquor store. A woman approached, handed her a flyer, and invited her inside. Unsurprisingly, Xiaohua made a purchase, taking home a bottle of Abbey-style ale. As she put it, she "didn't leave empty-handed."
While Xiaohua's experience seems ordinary, it warrants scrutiny against the backdrop of a transforming baijiu industry. Currently, the sector is facing a chill, with even leading brands like
The industry's downturn is starkly evident in the data. In 2025, among 21 listed baijiu companies, 20 saw revenue decline, 19 experienced a drop in net profit, and 18 faced declines in both. Additionally, the average inventory turnover days for the industry surged to 900, a 10% year-on-year increase.
The performance of
Beyond these giants, Jiuguijiu's case is noteworthy. In July last year, the company collaborated with Pang Donglai to launch a co-branded liquor priced at 200 yuan, "Jiugui · Freedom Love," which generated significant market buzz, selling 196 million yuan in just half a year. However, overall, the company's revenue fell by over 20%, resulting in a loss of 33.95 million yuan.
From the industry's overall condition to individual brand performances, it is clear that the baijiu sector is undergoing a structural transformation. Industry marketing expert Xiao Zhuqing analyzes that the industry has entered an L-shaped adjustment phase and "has not yet bottomed out." In other words, this significant shift is set to continue.
Exploring the underlying reasons, Xiao Zhuqing states that the biggest challenge facing China's liquor industry remains insufficient social purchasing power, leading to consumption tightening and downgrading due to consumers' pessimistic expectations about future income. Under these circumstances, the industry faces long-term variables such as overcapacity and a downward price system, with continued pressure on price adjustments for sub-premium and mid-range baijiu.
This commentary highlights the harsh reality of the baijiu industry. Two key points deserve attention: first, the downward pressure on the price system is a "long-term variable," affecting not only high-end but also sub-premium and mid-range products; second, from the consumer perspective, weak purchasing power manifests as consumption tightening and downgrading.
These two factors are interconnected, creating a combined effect. One result is that even industry leaders like
Another result is that as industry overcapacity becomes apparent, unbranded liquor stores are capitalizing on price, product variety, and experience to directly meet consumer demand and rise with the trend.
According to industry media like "Tangjiu Express," the unbranded liquor store sector has formed a diversified competitive landscape. Traditional chain brands like Bailaoquan, Anning Shaobai, and Chuanhong Gaoliang are accelerating store openings. Emerging brands like Tang Sanliang, Banmaxia, Panda Dajiu, and Jiuxiaopengyesheng are expanding with capital support. Well-known distilleries such as Gujing Gongjiu, Kouzijiao, and Songhe Distillery are also actively entering the market, driving the sector towards branding and chain operations at a higher level.
While this move towards branding and chaining represents an evolution to a more advanced form, the proliferation of unbranded liquor stores, compared to giants like
Imagine buying quality unbranded liquor "nearby," enjoying "two liang for 3 yuan," without paying extra for brand premiums. For those who enjoy drinking, this is a delightful prospect.
The characteristic of unbranded liquor stores is selling by weight, focusing on small orders, yet the overall market size reaches hundreds of billions. Data released by the Sichuan Liquor Group shows that in 2024, the unbranded liquor market exceeded 80 billion yuan, with an estimated breakthrough of 100 billion yuan in 2025, representing a compound annual growth rate of over 15%.
Significantly, in this unbranded liquor boom, young consumers aged 25 to 35 constitute over 60% of the consumer base, becoming the main force driving consumption, a fact the media finds "surprising."
To cater to the drinking and experiential demands of consumers, especially the youth, unbranded liquor stores employ a "three-pronged" strategy:
First, emphasize low prices. Data shows that as of May 13, 2026, Tang Sanliang Dajiupu has 67 stores with an average per-person spend of 40.55 yuan; Banmaxia has 69 stores with an average of 25.23 yuan; Jiuxiaopengyesheng has 12 stores with an average of only 11.88 yuan. In comparison, Helen's, which promotes "affordable alcohol," has an average per-person spend of 63.01 yuan, significantly higher than Tang Sanliang and multiples of Banmaxia and Jiuxiaopeng.
At the point of sale, prices are surprisingly low. At Banmaxia, 50ml of a light-aroma daily drink sells for 0.99 yuan, while 50ml of a premium sauce-aroma liquor is only 29.99 yuan. Even stores opened by renowned distilleries like Gujing Gongjiu and Kouzijiao offer 50ml daily drinks for as low as 2.9 yuan. Regarding the prevalent low-price strategy, a market representative from Yangshao Dajiu admitted, "Not everyone can afford high-end famous liquors. Our stores offer low product prices and low purchase barriers for consumers."
Second, offer a rich variety. Today's emerging unbranded liquor stores don't just sell baijiu; they include all beverages favored by young people. Taking Panda Dajiu as an example, its menu is divided into two distinct sections: one focuses on coffee, offering six types including lattes and sparkling Americanos; the other is a "liquor collection," featuring categories like baijiu, fresh-brewed beer, fruit wine, cocktails, plum wine, rice wine, and yellow wine, providing up to 43 different options.
Third, emphasize experience. These stores not only offer "free tastings" but also facilitate "light socialization." As Cheng Jianjun, founder of Panda Dajiu, stated, "In our stores, it's not just about drinking; you can also enjoy a relaxed gathering atmosphere."
Notably, the "light socialization" experience is expanding. Some stores are equipped with board games, power banks, charging sockets, bar counters, and camping chairs, combined with promotions like "39.9 yuan for 3 hours of unlimited drinking in-store" or "58 yuan for unlimited drinking," deeply tapping into the young consumers' demand for "tipsy socializing."
This "three-pronged" strategy enhances consumer loyalty. Public data indicates that 90% of people who enter an unbranded liquor store for a tasting make a purchase, with a repurchase rate as high as 60%.
This also explains the sector's diversified competitive landscape. Whether traditional chains like Bailaoquan, emerging brands like Tang Sanliang, or stores opened by established distilleries like Gujing Gongjiu, all aim to expand their consumer base and foster repeat purchases to cultivate "loyal users."
Nevertheless, earning money from young consumers is not easy, as they value both cost-effectiveness and quality, preferring products and services with substance.
Amid this boom, a frequently overlooked issue is professionalism. Does selling unbranded liquor require professionalism? Indeed, it does, because the product range has expanded. In earlier times, selling unbranded liquor involved peddling from tricycles, later evolving to fixed storefronts, mostly selling only baijiu, requiring expertise in that area. Now, most stores offer a rich variety of everything, demanding higher professional standards.
Regarding this change, Cheng Wansong, Secretary-General of the Beijing Alcoholic Beverages Circulation Association, believes that managing unbranded liquor stores requires a high level of professional expertise because selecting and managing base liquor necessitates very professional storage environments, management tools, and especially, skilled personnel.
Cheng Wansong further analyzes: "In an era without enough liquor to drink, the space for unbranded liquor stores was relatively larger. In a market environment with a surplus of baijiu supply, the market space depends on their own professional standards and the technological means they employ."
From the consumer's perspective, emphasizing professionalism is crucial because insufficient professionalism inevitably affects product and service quality, thereby eroding consumer trust to some extent.
On the other hand, from the store's perspective, the widespread low-price strategy also tests their operational and managerial capabilities. Cheng Jianjun believes that high quality at low prices, with small quantities and frequent purchases, is key to the success of these stores. However, in reality, price wars are pervasive, leading some merchants to cut corners on quality.
This approach is tantamount to "self-sabotage." This is because the customer base of these stores largely relies on repeat business from regulars, mostly nearby residents or office workers. As Mr. Yuan, who operates Tang Sanliang Dajiupu, stated: "We primarily do business with regular customers. We know many of our patrons; most live nearby or work here. They are willing to return repeatedly because of the proximity, good taste, and high cost-effectiveness."
The cornerstone for the long-term development of "regular customer business" is trust. One unsatisfactory experience could directly "turn them away." In this sense, genuinely achieving high quality at low prices, establishing and solidifying consumer trust, is undoubtedly the moat for the long-term development of unbranded liquor stores.
Interestingly, a "2026 Consumption Trends Report" jointly released recently indicates that over 80% of consumers feel their trust in brands is declining to some extent. This loosening of trust is reshaping consumption decisions: people are starting to assess practicality, avoid membership cards, habitually calculate cost-effectiveness, and their overall mindset has contracted to "suspect first, verify later."
These consumer sentiments and mindsets also have a significant impact on the unbranded liquor store sector. It's understandable that while these stores are popular among some young consumers, it doesn't mean they have already won their trust.
In fact, many young people remain curious,观望, or skeptical. Even those who have become "regulars" may not have their trust fully cemented, which is no easy task.
This, in fact, is precisely the distinct advantage held by leading brands like
Currently, although unbranded liquor stores have quietly gained popularity, the next steps for the sector's healthy development involve stabilizing profitability in affordable, consumer-friendly operations, balancing branding with professionalism, and advancing both quality and consumer experience.
In other words, the path for unbranded liquor stores is long, and no step can be skipped. The so-called "good days" are far from truly arriving.
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