Survey Report on The Consumption Habits of Chinese Wine Consumers towards Imported Wine

Introduction

According to the “2017 China Wine Market Landscape Report” released by Wine Intelligence, China has become the world’s fifth largest wine market, with a total of 155,375 cases (9 liters / case) of imported wine in 2017. And the Chinese market’s annual growth rate of imported wine consumption has reached 55% in the past five years. This shows that the Chinese market has become the main market for imported wine consumption, and it is necessary to understand the consumption habits of Chinese imported wine consumers.

Chinese wine blog “The Grape Wall” published a survey on the consumption habits of Chinese wine consumers toward imported wines through the Chinese questionnaire website “www.wjx.cn”. The website of this survey is https://www.wjx.cn/jq/50484467.aspx (see the questionnaire of the survey from the Appendix 1), and the link to the blog post containing the survey and the analysis of the survey results is https://parisundae.wixsite.com/thegrapewall/post/survey-report-on-the-consumption-habits-of-chinese-wine-consumers-towards-imported-wine.

There were 53 participants in the survey. The survey found that Chinese consumers showed significant characteristics when consuming imported wine (see the breakdown of the results of the survey from the Appendix 2). This article will give a detailed description from the following five aspects: (1) the main consumer groups, (2) the proportion of various wines consumed by different age groups, (3) the places where consumers buy and drink imported wine, (4) the frequency of drinking wine and the selection of consumption price, and (5) the consumption psychology of consumers.

Results and Findings

1. The main consumer groups

Among the 53 participants in this questionnaire, a total of 14 are 18 to 30 years old, 19 are 31 to 40 years old, 17 are 41 to 50 years old, and only 3 participants are over 50 years old. Among them, there are 34 male participants and 19 female participants. This shows that middle-aged men aged from 30 to 50 are the main consumers of imported wine in China.

At the same time, with the improvement of educational level and personal monthly income, consumers’ tendency to drink wine is also increasing. The survey results showed that 42 of the 53 respondents who completed the questionnaire had a bachelor’s degree or higher. In addition, the average monthly income of the main consumer groups of imported wine is between RMB 3,000 and RMB 5,000, accounting for 33.96%, followed by those in RMB 5,000 to RMB 7,000, accounting for 28.3%. This shows that the group with stable income higher than the average income level in China (about RMB 3,000) is the main group of wine consumption.

2. The proportion of various wines consumed by different age groups

Among the 14 participants aged 18 to 30, 7 chose red wine, accounting for 50%, and 9 and 6 chose white wine and sparkling wine, respectively; among the 20 respondents aged 30 to 39, 15 choose red wine, and 12 chose white wine and 9 chose sparkling wine; of the 18 participants aged 40 to 50, 16 chose red wine, 8 chose white and 4 chose sparkling wine; and all 3 survey respondents over the age of 50 chose to drink red wine.

It can be seen that older consumers prefer red wine. In contrast, the main consumers of emerging wine types such as white wine and sparkling wine are young people aged 18 to 30.

3. The places where consumers buy and drink imported wine

According to consumption inertia and convenience, in general, most wine consumers will choose the most commonly used consumption channels, such as the supermarkets near their houses. The survey results indicate that more than 66 % of consumers would choose to buy in supermarkets, and in addition, nearly 33.96% of would choose to buy in wine stores. It is worth emphasizing that with the continuous development and popularization of online shopping in China, in this survey, 56.6% of consumers choose to buy wine online.

As for the choice of consumption places, the survey shows that more than 45% of respondents would drink imported wine at home; and about 26% of the participants said they would choose to KTV, bars, nightclubs and other entertainment venues for wine consumption, most of which were young people aged 18 to 30.

It is worth noting that wine is increasingly consumed as a holiday gift, the drink for family and friends gatherings and wedding banquets, and there are 20 and 38 participants who choose to use imported wine as gifts and consumption in restaurants.

4. The frequency of wine drinking and the selection of consumption price

The survey found that the frequency of consumption of imported wine by Chinese consumers is actually not high. The result indicates that consumers who drink imported wine every day only account for 7.55%, and consumers who drink wine every week account for about 15%, while consumers who consume wine each month account for 39.62%, and those who drink wine more than once every year account for 37.74%. It can be seen from this that Chinese people currently drink imported wine drinking frequency is low.

In addition, the price range of imported wine acceptable to Chinese consumers is mainly concentrated within RMB 500, of which RMB 300 to RMB 500 is the majority, accounting for about 38 percent; about 36% of the participants can accept the price of RMB 100 to RMB 300; while only 5.66 percent of participants were willing to pay more than RMB 1,000.

5. The consumption psychology of consumers

According to the questionnaire result, more than 88% of respondents consider the price of wine when buying wine.

Moreover, for Chinese consumers who drink less frequently, in the face of a large variety of wines, they cannot accurately distinguish the type of wine they like. Therefore, when choosing wine, recommendations from others, and wine labels are becoming more desirable sources of information. According to the survey data, a total of 37 participants in this questionnaire will choose wine based on its appearance (such as label, bottle packaging, award winning logo, etc.); 27 participants said recommendations from friends were one of the considerations in their selection.

Conclusion

In China, the number of consumers of imported wine is growing. Overall, men aged between 30 and 50 with high educational level and stable high income are the main consumer groups of imported wine in China. In addition, in the growing wine consumer group, the consumption of various types of wine is being diversified, and white wine and sparkling wine have begun to attract a large number of audiences, especially young consumer groups.

The growing influence of online shopping is driving China’s imported wine market. The advanced online shopping technology provides wine consumers with convenient and fast services and more choices, enabling consumers to understand and purchase wines from all over the world without leaving home.

When choosing wine, many Chinese consumers seek simple visual cues or clearly identified sections in stores. The Award-Winning Logo remains reassuring. According to Pellechia (2019), an independent writer with a background in the wine industry, “…both CSWA’s Certified California Sustainable Winegrowing logo and a generic Certified Sustainable logo were viewed as credible and visually appealing…the highest likelihood to buy among U.S. wine consumers”.

According to Chinese wine magazine “China Wine Industry”, “on a macro level, the Chinese wine market has been growing at 15-20 percent in recent years. There were 19 million wine lovers in China in 2009, and 14 million of them were consumers of imported wine, and this figure is expected to climb by 50 percent to 21 million by 2025”. This rapid development trend will undoubtedly have a good impact on Chinese imported wine consumers. For example, people can choose more and more wine types, and they will have more and more opportunities to learn about imported wine culture. This will not only help diversify China’s wine consumption structure, but also help the imported wine industry mature.

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References

China Wine Industry. (2011). Investigation report on the consumption status of imported wine. Retrieved from http://www.zgnjw.com.cn/article.asp?article_id=3795.

Pellechia, T. (2019). Survey Of Wine Consumers Says Sustainability Takes Precedence Over Organic. Retrieved from https://www.forbes.com/sites/thomaspellechia/2019/06/26/survey-of-wine-consumers-says-sustainability-takes-precedence-over-organic/#665d7c907bd8.

Wine Intelligence. (2017). China Landscapes 2017. Retrieved from https://www.wineintelligence.com/downloads/china-landscapes-2017/.

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Appendix 1

中国葡萄酒消费者对于进口葡萄酒的消费习惯 - The consumption habits of Chinese wine consumers towards imported wine

Hi~ I am a journalism student from Xiamen University Malaysia. This is a survey about your consumption habits of towards imported wine. It aims at understanding the characteristics of the major consumer groups of imported wine and what are the decisive factors of Chinese wine consumers' consumption of imported wine.

I will be appreciate to receive your valuable responses to this questionnaire and thank you so much for your assistant in this survey. If you have any further questions or suggestions on this survey, please email me at JRN1709882@xmu.edu.my, or contact me through my blog https://parisundae.wixsite.com/thegrapewall.

1. 性别 Gender [单选题] *

○男士 Male

○女士 Female

2. 年龄 Age [单选题] *

○18-30

○31-40

○41-50

○50+

3. 月收入 Monthly Income [单选题] *

○¥1000 - ¥2000

○¥2001 - ¥3000

○¥3001 - ¥5000

○¥5001 - ¥7000

○¥7001 - ¥10000

○¥10000+

4. 文化程度 Educational Level [单选题] *

○初中 Secondary School

○高中 High School

○大专 College Degree

○学士 Bachelor's Degree

○硕士 Master's Degree

○博士 Ph.D Degree or higher

5. 您饮用进口葡萄酒的频率是？（特指酒精度在15%及以下的葡萄酒，不包括白兰地等烈酒）

Frequency of drinking imported wine (Wine with alcohol of 15% or less, excluding spirits such as Brandy)

[单选题] *

○每天 Every Day

○一周（几次）How many times a week _________________ *

○一个月（几次）How many times a month _________________ *

○一年（几次）How many times a year _________________ *

6. 您偏爱哪一类型的葡萄酒？

What type of wine do you prefer？

[多选题] *

□红葡萄酒 Red Wine

□白葡萄酒 White Wine

□气泡酒/香槟 Sparkling Wine/Champagne

□其他 Others _________________

7. 您通常饮用葡萄酒的场所？

The place where you usually drink wine

[多选题] *

□家里 Home

□饭店 Restaurant

□送礼 Used as a gift for others

□酒吧、KTV等娱乐场所 Bars, KTV and other entertainment venues

□其他 Others _________________

8. 您通常购买葡萄酒的场所？

The place where you usually buy wine

[多选题] *

□超市 Supermarket

□百货商场 Shopping Mall

□葡萄酒专卖店 Wine Store

□在线购物 Online Store

□其他 Others _________________

9. 您认为一瓶进口葡萄酒的价格多高您可以接受?

Acceptable price for a bottle of imported wine

[单选题] *

○100元以下 Under ¥100

○¥100 - ¥300

○¥301 - ¥500

○¥501 - ¥1000

○1000元以上 Above ¥1000

10. 您在选购葡萄酒时，会考虑哪些因素？

What factors will you consider when choosing a wine？

[多选题] *

□朋友的推荐 Recommendations from friends

□价格 Price

□外观(包装、酒标、获奖标志等) Appearance (bottle packaging, wine labels, award winning logo, etc.)

□经常在广告中看到的红酒 Wines often seen in advertisements

□其他 Others _________________

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Appendix 2

中国葡萄酒消费者对于进口葡萄酒的消费习惯 - The consumption habits of Chinese wine consumers towards imported wine

1. 性别 Gender [单选题]

2. 年龄 Age

3. 月收入 Monthly Income

4. 文化程度 Educational Level

5. 您饮用进口葡萄酒的频率是？（特指酒精度在15%及以下的葡萄酒，不包括白兰地等烈酒）Frequency of drinking imported wine (Wine with alcohol of 15% or less, excluding spirits such as Brandy)

6. 您偏爱哪一类型的葡萄酒？What type of wine do you prefer？

7. 您通常饮用葡萄酒的场所？The place where you usually drink wine

8. 您通常购买葡萄酒的场所？The place where you usually buy wine

9. 您认为一瓶进口葡萄酒的价格多高您可以接受?Acceptable price for a bottle of imported wine

10. 您在选购葡萄酒时，会考虑哪些因素？What factors will you consider when choosing a wine？