China’s 618 Grows Up

China’s annual 618 Shopping Festival has long been synonymous with deep discounts and aggressive promotions. But this year’s event suggests the country’s online wine market is entering a new phase.

As platform subsidies become a permanent feature of China’s e-commerce landscape and consumers grow increasingly discerning, alcohol sales continued to rise during this year’s festival but the drivers of growth have shifted. Rather than relying solely on price cuts, wine sales were increasingly fuelled by premiumisation, educational content and niche products. Dry white wines, boutique labels and knowledge-based marketing emerged as some of the strongest growth areas.

Originally launched by JD.com in 2010 to celebrate the company’s anniversary on June 18, the 618 Shopping Festival has evolved from a single-platform promotion into one of China’s two largest nationwide online shopping events, alongside Singles’ Day (11.11). Virtually every major e-commerce platform now participates, making it one of the best indicators of changing consumer behaviour in China’s alcohol market.

Overall, the headline numbers remained positive.

JD.com recently released its 618 Premium Spirits Sales Report, covering the period from May 13 to June 18. According to the platform, alcohol sales increased 25% year-on-year, with leading baijiu brands including Moutai, Wuliangye, Guotai, Jingpai and aged Xijiu recording growth ranging from 15% to 230%.

By category, Moutai, Wuliangye and Fenjiu ranked as the three best-selling baijiu brands, while Tsingtao, Yanjing and Budweiser topped the beer category. In imported spirits, Rémy Martin, Hennessy and Martell occupied the top three positions.

But how did wine perform?

To find out, Vino Joy News spoke with three of China’s leading wine e-commerce operators to understand what stood out during this year’s 618 campaign.

Entry-Level Fine Wines Remain the Sweet Spot

All three merchants interviewed reported year-on-year sales growth during this year’s festival.

Annie Wang, CEO of SommCat, which combines wine education with e-commerce across Xiaohongshu (RedNote), Taobao and Douyin, said sales across all channels increased 35% compared with last year’s 618 campaign.

She said wines priced between RMB100 and RMB300 (US$14–42) remained the backbone of consumer demand, while livestreaming delivered particularly strong sales.

He Shengxi, Chairman of Guangzhou Bacchus Fazhuang Trading Co., which specialises in Burgundy wines sold through Douyin, Xiaohongshu, WeChat Channels, Tmall and JD.com, also reported strong growth across every Burgundy price segment.

Platform-issued shopping vouchers further boosted transactions, pushing sales well above normal trading levels.

Meanwhile, prominent wine influencer and online retailer Xiaopi said sales on Tmall and JD.com posted single-digit growth, largely because last year’s 618 campaign had already set a high benchmark.

Everyday drinking wines continued to enjoy strong demand, he said, while wines priced around RMB1,000 (US$150) also performed well thanks to gift-with-purchase promotions.

Wine Education Is Becoming a Sales Driver

Beyond the sales figures, merchants observed a clear shift in consumer behaviour.

According to Annie Wang, today’s wine buyers are making more informed purchasing decisions.

Rather than responding to exaggerated marketing claims, consumers are increasingly drawn to the stories behind the bottle—its terroir, producer and winemaking philosophy.

Recognising that shift, SommCat organised a series of online masterclasses during the 618 campaign featuring owners of renowned wineries.

“The winery owners introduced their estates, wines and terroirs directly to consumers,” Wang said.

“It helped consumers build a deeper understanding of the wines, and that translated into sales in a very natural way.”

The approach reflects a broader trend in China’s online wine market, where content is becoming as important as price in influencing purchasing decisions.

A More Rational Shopping Festival

If there was one defining theme this year, it was rationality.

Not only are consumers becoming more selective, merchants themselves are taking a more disciplined approach to promotions.

Unlike previous years, when deep discounting often triggered destructive price wars, many retailers deliberately avoided campaigns that required merchants to absorb the cost of discounts themselves.

He Shengxi said his company chose not to participate in such promotions.

“Our profit margins are already relatively low,” he explained. “After accounting for platform advertising, commissions and operating costs, there’s very little room left to cut prices further.”

However, the company did participate in platform-funded promotions where discounts were fully subsidised by the platform rather than the merchant.

The result was a shopping festival that was noticeably less promotion-driven than in previous years.

According to Xiaopi, consumers no longer feel the need to wait specifically for 618 before making purchases.

“Promotions have become part of everyday shopping,” he said.

“Prices during 618 aren’t dramatically lower than usual, so unless consumers are buying in bulk, most people simply purchase when they need to.”

He believes this reflects a more mature market.

“It’s also more responsible,” he said. “Wine isn’t necessarily something consumers should stockpile if they don’t have proper storage conditions at home.”

Rather than offering blanket discounts, SommCat focused on rewarding its most loyal customers.

Annie Wang said the company introduced exclusive repurchase offers for frequent buyers during this year’s festival, providing tangible benefits for long-term customers while strengthening relationships with its core consumer base.

Dry Whites Continue to Gain Momentum

Dry white wine emerged as one of this year’s standout performers.

He Shengxi said sales of white Burgundy increased sharply during the campaign, particularly regional and village-level appellations offering strong value for money.

Annie Wang observed a similar trend.

With 618 falling at the start of summer, consumers increasingly gravitated towards fresher, lighter and more approachable wines.

“The season naturally favours crisp, easy-drinking styles,” she said.

Boutique Wines Are Winning New Followers

Perhaps the most notable trend was growing consumer interest in smaller, story-driven wine brands.

Because all three interviewees specialise in fine wines rather than mass-market labels, their businesses provide an insightful window into China’s premium online wine market.

Annie Wang said consumers are becoming less fixated on famous estates and increasingly willing to explore lesser-known producers and emerging regions.

Classic Australian wine regions, niche Italian grape varieties and premium Chinese wines all attracted growing attention during this year’s festival.

Among the strongest performers was Yunlai, the label founded by independent Chinese winemaker Hou Jinyu. Wang said the wine received an overwhelmingly positive response following its exclusive launch on the platform.

Xiaopi reported a similar trend.

The only premium wine in his store to record explosive sales growth during 618 was Renyiyuandao Dry Red from Ningxia, retailing at RMB878 (US$122).

He attributed its success largely to the wine being named Best Chinese Wine of the Year at the 2025 Wynn Signature Chinese Wine Awards, demonstrating the growing influence of industry recognition on consumer purchasing decisions.