NEWS
POST-LOCKDOWN SENSE OF RELIEF DROVE CHAMPAGNE DEMAND IN CHINA
By Tony Zhu
14-9-2021
Credit: David Mathews
Demand for Champagne has risen dramatically in post-lockdown China due to a national sense of relief, London-based drinks website Harpers quoted Chinese market expert Lei Meng as reporting.
The founder of consultancy firm Sparkling Asia told Harpers that her clients had reported a sharp rise in sales following the end of the first lockdown in 2020.
Li said the surge in demand of Champagne was caused by a sense of relief when the national lockdown ended last year.
“We suddenly noticed that private consumers were starting to enjoy Champagne and the on-trade has recorded rising sales as well – particularly hotels and restaurants. The future potential of the market is looking very promising,” she said.
Chinese drinkers have long been showing little interest in Champagne, possibly due to a dislike of the tartness in most Champagnes.
However, Champagne Joseph Perrier's export manager Matthieu Luneau told Harpers that this was changing.
“For a long time we sidelined the market, as we felt that Chinese consumers were not ready for Champagne in a wider sense. Yet we feel that the time has come for us to invest more into the country, and that a critical mass of consumers are now ready to discover Champagne.”
According to IWSR, Champagne sales volume in China grew 2.4 percent between 2014-2019. Volumes are forecast to grow 2.6 percent between now and 2024.
Li added that this burgeoning interest had been encouraged by a significant investment of resources by the major houses and their Chinese partners, organising numerous masterclasses and events.
“The growth can also be attributed to a shift in luxury consumption habits, rising education, and the empowerment of female middle-class consumers,” Li said.
(the writer can be contacted at: info@thewinechronicle.com)
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