With the news of the liquidation and withdrawal of several small and medium-sized importers, 2023, which has been high and low, has finally turned a page, and most wine practitioners have had a difficult time this year.
The most difficult is the small and medium-sized importers, under the awakening of limited funds, shrinking markets, and lack of confidence, it is this group that is squeezed the most.
The second is some small and medium-sized domestic boutique wineries, the market of external expansion in the past few years has almost been lost, and most of them have retreated back to the local market to rely on the best resources to barely maintain. Not long ago, the author participated in an industry exchange activity, and a person in charge of a winery in the west did not participate, but only sent a technical person in charge. When asked the reason, the inventory is large, the debt is heavy, and the mood is low.
Super brands and large producers are not immune, and some of the top wines in the old and new world are facing the problem of halving the consumer market. Although the super brands can still stabilize, they are still facing the embarrassing situation of declining sales and profits despite their best efforts.
Behind the collective frustration of the whole industry, the reasons are related to sluggish consumption, uncertain future, too much volume in the industry, and the flood of counterfeit and shoddy products, but the biggest emotional impact comes from the end of last year to this year's **, which is contrary to expectations.
The recent communication between the boss and the boss, if you put your heart into your heart, will inevitably be sad, and even burst into tears. Migrant workers are also helpless, and most of the talk is about job losses, salary cuts, and confusion about the future.
Probably practitioners have a sense of powerlessness that is easy to be cold.
Charlie Munger, a great thinker and legend in the world of investing, has left us in 2023, but he has left behind a legacy of wisdom such as "think the other way around, always think the other way around".
First of all, will China's economy slump from now on?Will the wine industry suddenly collapse?Will wine lovers who have been cultivated for many years disappear overnight?No, absolutely not.
Secondly, with the rationalization of consumption and the fierce competition, the popularization and integration of online and offline, do you continue to follow the road of "inflated, ignoring brands, having no core competitiveness, and relationship marketing".The answer is definitely no.
If you are a chocolate consumer and you are invited to a chocolate event, a so-called chocolate expert tells you a bunch of small production areas that you have never been to, a lot of ingredients whose names you can't remember, a lot of aroma terms that you don't understand, and finally three taste changes of superimposed adjectives, most people may feel uncomfortable.
Therefore, don't immerse yourself in your own world, don't float in the air collectively, don't indulge in the so-called tasting profession, you must think the other way, always think the other way. Looking at the global market, the ultimate state of wine is FMCG, with the exception of a few collectible investment wines.
Many people will ask, when will the industry recover?
Do you still want to **?Do you still want to hear the so-called "experts"?At the end of 2022, there is a general understanding of the wonderful ** of 2023, have you forgotten?Most of your critical hits and damage come from your **.
What I want to say is that no matter what the future holds, every year we must be prepared to accept a new round of market shocks, follow our own pace, and move towards the right route, wine needs more time to precipitate.
As Winston Churchill said, "It's not that we're really strong enough, it's that we don't have a choice." ”