ProWine Shanghai 2024 Sees Strong Crowds, But Buyer Caution Lingers

ProWine Shanghai 2024, held from Nov. 12-14, has concluded with robust attendance, with booths bustling as buyers sampled wines and engaged in lively discussions. Despite the event’s popularity, cautious purchasing and a challenging economic environment tempered exhibitors’ optimism about the market’s recovery.

Part of the 2024 FHC Shanghai Global Food Trade Show, ProWine Shanghai occupied two halls at the Shanghai New International Expo Center. According to the fair, this year’s exhibition brought together 650 exhibitors from 32 countries and regions, with international exhibitors accounting for over 80%. The event also attracted 20,860 visitors, including professional buyers from a wide range of sectors such as importers, distributors, hotels, and the food and beverage industry. By 10 a.m. on opening day, long lines had already formed at the venue, and crowds filled the exhibition areas.

Foot traffic quickly picked up around popular pavillions, particularly in the W4 Hall, which featured the Australia, New Zealand, and Young Generation China Wine ( 中国酿酒师酿酒师新势力联盟展团 or YGCW) pavilions. These areas remained busy throughout the three-day event. In comparison, the W5 Hall saw moderate interest, with strong traffic at the French Pavilion but quieter activity in the Italy section and lesser known regions like Serbia, Moldova, and Romania.

One of the most popular wine at the fair without a doubt is Australia. The Australia Pavilion drew steady crowds thanks to the removal of anti-dumping tariffs earlier this year. “The response has been excellent, especially on the second day,” said Zhang Chenyu, China head of GNT Fine Wines and Spirits. “The buyers are professional, and there’s strong interest in Australian wines.”

Interest in German and New Zealand booths was also strong at the fair, underscoring the growing popularity of white wines in China. “Most inquiries were for white and sparkling wines, which aligns with our focus and the market’s shift,” said Gu Yuping, General Manager of Henkell Freixenet China.

This year also marked New Zealand Winegrowers’ return to ProWine Shanghai for the first time in a decade, thanks to improved awareness of its wines. “Ten years ago, Chinese buyers knew little about us, but now most participating wineries have local teams, and white wine acceptance has grown,” said Vanessa Wu, the group’s Greater China Market Manager.

TheYoung Generation China Wine Pavilion also drew significant attention. Chang Wei, head of Lavie Winery from Inner Mongolia, noted that most visitors were younger buyers. “Many were curious about our wines, and the event achieved our goals,” he said.

Cautious Buyers

Priding itself for its extensive reach to trade professionals in China, this year’s ProWine Shanghai welcomed over 20,000 visitors, and most of the buyers are a mix of traditional distributors, wholesalers, and emerging online retailers.

To target the trade professionals, Italian winery Piccini collaborated with its importers to maximize outreach. “Most buyers are from traditional wholesale channels rather than direct importers,” said Federica Tamagno, the winery’s China head.

Renowned French wine brand Gerard Bertrand reported similar trends. Marketing Manager Nina Hou observed an increase in online retailers from platforms like China’s Xiaohongshu, a social media and e-commerce app similar to Instagram. Meanwhile, Yu Hongjie, Founder of Sparkling World, an importer specializing in Italian sparkling wines, noted most of its buyers are from large supermarkets, while Henkell Freixenet noted increased interest from restaurant groups and chain retailers in its offerings.

However, exhibitors said most buyers were cautious, reflecting the subdued economic environment. “Purchasing decisions are conservative, and follow-up discussions will be needed,” Hou said.

Gu and Zhang added that buyers showed stronger interest in mid- to low-priced products. “While brand recognition matters, price sensitivity is a key factor, posing new challenges,” Gu said.

Shiyue, Marketing Manager at Shenzhen-based importer Certiz Premier Products that specializes German wines, noted similar dynamics. “New customers were interested but hesitant, and long-time clients were more conservative in placing orders,” she said.

The cautious approach of buyers indeed reflects the broader economic downturn. Jin Hongyao, Regional Manager at Telford Wine and Spirits for Hunan, Hubei, Hebei and Anhui provinces, which imports E. & J. Gallo Wines, noted that this year’s event was less vibrant than previous editions. ‘It’s not that people aren’t interested in wine; the past two years have been economically tough, and distributors have lost money, so they’re naturally more cautious, he said.

Similarly, Sarah Liao, representing the EU-sponsored Catalonia wine booth, observed that it will take time to return to pre-pandemic levels, due to the current economic climate.

Balancing Trade and Consumer Engagement

Although ProWine Shanghai is known as a B2B wine trade fair, the exhibition also attracted a fair share of wine enthusiasts. “I know that at other types of drinks exhibitions, many people buy tickets just to drink, but our focus is business matchmaking. Turning the event into a consumer gathering deviates from its original purpose,” Jin Hongyao of Telford said.

Nina Hou shared a similar observation, noting, “While foot traffic was slightly higher than last year, the first day had a strong presence of industry professionals. However, starting from the second day, many wine enthusiasts came just to drink.”

Hou, however, took a more open-minded stance on the matter. “Brands need exposure. Exhibiting at events isn’t just about business matchmaking; it’s also about letting more consumers experience the product. Without that, it’s like building castles in the air,” she explained.

Chang Wei of Lavie Winery also acknowledged the presence of wine enthusiasts at the event, saying he interacted with many of them. Echoing Hou, he found their participation beneficial for raising his winery’s brand awareness. “After all, this exhibition was held on weekdays rather than the weekend. Even if they were general consumers, they were knowledgable when it came to wine. Enthusiasts, even if they don’t make purchases, still help with brand promotion,” he said.