China beer market 2026: flat volumes, rising value and a split at the top
China’s beer market has quietly flipped the script. For twenty years the game was volume: cheap lager, big bottles, more banquets. That game is over. Breweries above designated size produced 35.36 million kiloliters in 2025, slightly less than the year before, according to NBS data reported by Yicai. Yet the industry made more money than […]
The new pour: How premiumization, craft beer, and instant delivery are transforming beer market in China
The beer market in China is undergoing a significant transformation. For years, the industry was all about cheap, mass-market lagers, but the last decade has flipped the script. There is now a huge swing toward craft beer and experimental flavor profiles. This isn’t just a minor trend. It is a full-scale market overhaul led by […]
Beyond Baijiu: Young consumers, e-commerce, and premium experiences redefining Chinese alcoholic beverage market
The Chinese alcohol market continues to lead globally, reaffirming its position as the world’s largest by market value. According to the latest report from the Chinese Alcoholic Beverage Industry Association (中国酒业协会), China’s brewing industry achieved sales revenue of RMB 1.08 trillion (approximately USD 148 billion) in 2024, reflecting a robust 9.3% year-on-year growth. Concurrently, total […]
Harbin Beer’s secret to increasing their female consumer base: Leveraging the idol economy
At a time when China’s idol economy has an unprecedented influence on young consumers, Harbin Beer has successfully attracted the attention of the fan circle and set itself apart from other brands that use celebrities as their endorsers. Harbin Beer is one of the oldest beer-brewing companies in China. Zhang Yixing is a Chinese idol […]
The growing popularity of Russian products in China: Ice cream, beer, agriculture and more
Russia and China have a long history of trade relations. After Western sanctions against Russia in 2014, Russia introduced a new approach to the foreign policy – “Pivot to Asia”. As a result, China has become Russia’s largest export country for agricultural products. In 2019 the Chinese market for Russian products hit a record of […]
Daxue FAQ – CRE Selling its Retail Unit
China Resources Enterprise (CRE) sold its retail unit back in April to focus on beer production. What drove the decision and how is the retail sector in China currently coping? In answer to your first questions, it’s a relatively simple case of Chinese Resources Enterprises focusing on what can turn a profit and handing off […]
Market study: beer in China
Nowadays, China’s consumption of beer ranks higher than any other country in the world. Tsingtao Beer(青岛啤酒), Snow Beer(雪花啤酒), Yanjing Beer(燕京啤酒), Budweiser(百威啤酒), Shancheng Beer(山城啤酒), Pearl River Beer(珠江啤酒), Harbin Beer(哈尔滨啤酒), Kingway Beer(金威啤酒), Sedrin Beer(雪津啤酒) and King Star Beer(金星啤酒): Out of these top 10 selling beers in China, 9 of them are Chinese domestic brands. Chinese beer has […]