The Zhitong Finance App learned that according to data from the National Bureau of Statistics, the cumulative production of liquor in the first 8 months of 2021-2026 showed a trend of decline year by year. Among them, production from January to August 2026 was 2,079 million kiloliters (minus 65 degrees of product volume), a cumulative decrease of 3.8%. According to monitoring data from the All-China Business Information Center, retail sales of alcohol and liquor products decreased by 2.1% and 8.2% respectively from January to August 2026. In August, due to high base factors in the same period last year, retail sales of alcohol and liquor all declined to varying degrees compared to the same period last year, and the decline was narrower than last month.
Judging from brand sales data, the overall market share of liquor brands in the popular price segment has increased, and the overall market share of medium and high price brands has declined. Among them, the overall market share of brands with terminal sales prices of 100-200 yuan increased by 2.71 percentage points over the same period last year. The overall market share of brands in the 200-500 yuan and above 500 yuan price ranges decreased by 1.48 and 2.04 percentage points, respectively, compared with the same period last year.
In August 2026, the top ten liquor brands with a comprehensive market share of key large-scale retail enterprises in the country were Maotai (600519.SH), Wuliangye (000858.SZ), Fenjiu (600809.SH), Jiannanchun, Yanghe (002304.SZ), Luzhou Laojiao (000568.SZ), Xifeng, Hongxing, Gujing Gongjiu (000596.SZ), and Niulanshan. The combined share was 53.41%, down 2.00 percentage points from the same period last year, up 1.89 percentage points from the previous year.
In 2026, the youthful transformation of liquor brands continues to advance, and many brands are exploring ways to reach consumers that are closer to everyday life. The first is the development of product innovation towards minimization and small capacity. Among them, nine leading liquor brands have jointly launched T9 50ml drink bottles and ultra-low 22-29 degree products with multi-brand layouts, and the “Low, Multi-Grain, Strong Flavored Liquor” group standard is being followed up simultaneously. Second, sales channels expand to instant retail, new retail platforms, and offline experience scenarios to explore consumer demand such as daily gatherings and self-drinking at home; third, brand communication focuses more on interest groups and interactive experiences. For example, Wuliangye launched a US-Canada-Mexico World Cup co-branded product, introduced blind box gameplay to promote the integration of liquor with various elements such as sports and trendy games, and enhance connections with young consumers.