Moutai set up marketing network in France

To expand China's leading moutai producer's efforts in internationalization, Kweichow Moutai will establish a marketing network in France, the firm's chairman Yuan Renguo said.

He explained that just as the company currently has a marketing network in each Chinese province, there will be specialized personnel to manage and offer services for the local distributors in overseas markets.

"Although we previously had some distributors in overseas market, we did not have specialized personnel and network to manage these distributors," Yuan said.
The company will establish more marketing networks in Russia, Japan, the US, Canada, Australia and Singapore within five years.

Despite the tightening supply in domestic market, Kweichow Moutai's sales in overseas markets last year reached more than 500 tons and the firm hopes to increase it by 100 tons this year. Currently, overseas sales of moutai account for 7 percent of total sales, according to Yuan.

Meanwhile, the liquor producer plans to expand the domestic market through the upcoming Shanghai World Expo. During the five-month event, Kweichow Moutai will launch more than 80 new packaging designs, as they are created according to the pavilions of different countries, he said.

The sales of Kweichow Moutai are estimated to grow 8 percent to 10 percent during the Shanghai Expo.

As media have reported that the drought in Southwest China may affect the water supply used to produce the liquor, Yuan said the current drought may impact some small liquor producers, but will not affect Moutai.

Also, besides the fiery spirit, the firm's parent company China Kweichow Moutai Distillery Co., Ltd, also wants to enter the field of red wine and beer. Yuan hopes its beer and red wines can be the top five in the industry within five years.