No. 1: Walmart China
Revenue: RMB 195.86 billion (US$28.83 billion)
Revenue change: 23.3%
Stores: 342
Store count change: 2.4%
Walmart entered China in 1996 and now operates Walmart hypermarkets and Sam’s Club, making it one of the country’s largest foreign retailers. As growth in traditional hypermarkets has slowed, Walmart China has shifted more resources toward Sam’s Club while upgrading the product structure and stores of its Walmart hypermarkets.
Wine is a key imported category for Walmart China. Sam’s Club, supported by global sourcing and a direct-supply model, offers imported wines from major producing regions around the world. Its combination of stable quality and strong value for money has made it an increasingly important barometer for China’s wine retail market.
After China ended its anti-dumping and countervailing duties on Australian wine in 2024, Sam’s Club quickly rebuilt its Australian wine assortment. In 2025, it launched a Barossa wine priced at around RMB 60, continuing its strategy of using high-value products to reach mainstream consumers.
Sam’s wine model has had a significant influence on China’s supermarket sector. In recent years, Freshippo, Yonghui and other retailers have adjusted wine procurement, pricing and assortments in ways that partly echo Sam’s approach. Some instant retail platforms have also begun strengthening global sourcing, curated SKUs and direct procurement.
At the same time, Sam’s low-margin, flattened supply-chain model has sparked debate and criticism within the industry. While it increases perceived consumer value and makes imported wine pricing more transparent, it also compresses margins in the traditional multi-tier distribution system and intensifies competition.
For importers and brand owners, balancing price competitiveness with channel profitability has become one of the industry’s most pressing issues.
Sam’s Club has never publicly disclosed wine sales figures. However, an unauthorised internal source previously told Vino Joy News that its wine business maintained double-digit growth during the pandemic and had exceeded RMB 800 million in sales by 2023, with volume approaching 5 million bottles. Although those figures have not been officially confirmed, the industry widely regards Sam’s as one of the most influential imported wine retail channels in China.
Discover more from Vino Joy News
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.
