During the “618” e-commerce promotion period in mainland China, the continued low-price promotion of Baijiu (Chinese liquor) has sparked controversy. While some platforms have reduced their subsidies for Baijiu this year, certain e-commerce platforms are still selling big-name liquors at prices below the mainstream market. Some liquor merchants claim that behind these unusually low prices, there may be the mixing of authentic and fake products, as well as tactics like “5+1” or “4+2”.
618 is an important annual e-commerce promotion event in China, second only to “Double Eleven.” During the 618 period, major platforms continue to compete for traffic with discounts and subsidies, and Baijiu has become one of the key categories for driving traffic through low prices on platforms.
In recent years, with the sluggish Chinese economy and weak consumer demand, the high-end Baijiu market has been under pressure. Maotai, a renowned Baijiu brand, has long been seen as an indicator of Baijiu prices, but its bulk pricing has significantly decreased from last year.
According to a report from the Economic Daily News on June 18, around 2025’s 618 promotion period, the bulk price of Maotai’s bottles dropped from around 2100 yuan/bottle on May 20 to about 2060 yuan/bottle on May 30, and further to around 1960 yuan/bottle on June 15. Since late May this year, the bulk price for Maotai bottles has largely remained around 1630 yuan/bottle.
With the decline in Baijiu prices, increased inventory pressure, and online low-price impact on offline channels, issues like low-price promotions, unauthorized sales channels, and difficulties in distinguishing between authentic and fake products have become more prominent.
The article mentions that during previous 618 periods, e-commerce platforms often attracted traffic by promoting big-name liquors at low prices, putting pressure on offline channel prices. While the subsidy intensity of platforms has somewhat reduced this year, low-price sales have not disappeared.
Taking Maotai as an example, prices listed on various e-commerce platforms during this year’s 618 period show that, after subsidies, Maotai’s prices on JD.com were around 1699 yuan/bottle; on Taobao and Tmall, prices were mostly above 1700 yuan/bottle; Pinduoduo had a lowest group purchase price of around 1579 yuan/bottle, with restrictions such as a single-person purchase limit and lower restocking frequency.
Regarding bulk pricing at offline stores, data from a third-party pricing platform shows that since late May, Maotai’s bulk bottle prices have mainly stayed around 1630 yuan/bottle, with boxed prices around 1660 yuan/bottle. A staff member at a liquor chain store in Chengdu mentioned that on June 17, Maotai’s bulk bottle retail price was 1730 yuan/bottle, and boxed price was 1760 yuan/bottle.
Compared to last year’s 618, the article states that there has been a smaller fluctuation in Baijiu bulk prices this year. During the 2025 618 period, the low-price subsidies on platforms significantly impacted offline prices. For instance, on May 20 last year, Maotai’s bulk bottle price was around 2100 yuan/bottle, with boxed prices above 2160 yuan/bottle; by June 15, the bulk bottle price had dropped to about 1960 yuan/bottle and boxed to around 1980 yuan/bottle.
According to a report published on June 6 by the 21st Century Economic Herald, during this year’s 618 period, Maotai’s low-price subsidies on platforms had cooled down, but the central market price had notably decreased compared to last year. The common 1499 yuan Maotai seen in the past two years during promotions has vanished this year, with prices for 500ml Maotai bulk bottles on platforms like Taobao, JD.com, and Pinduoduo ranging mostly from 1700 yuan to 1800 yuan. Additionally, the number of third-party liquor sellers and liquor anchors has decreased compared to previous years.
However, the convergence of platform subsidies does not mean that the problem of low-price chaos has disappeared. The Economic Daily News reported that some platforms still offer big-name liquors at significantly lower prices than the mainstream market, with price differences ranging from tens to hundreds of yuan.
Recently, a liquor merchant posted a video on social media stating that during the 618 period, the prices of some online platform liquors were tens to hundreds of yuan lower than those sold offline, with the price difference for a case of liquor possibly amounting to hundreds of yuan. He mentioned that some online prices were even lower than the wholesale cost for offline liquor retailers.
The merchant also pointed out that aside from genuine subsidies, abnormally low-priced products might involve the mixing of authentic and fake products. For example, in a six-bottle pack of Baijiu, five bottles might be real and one fake, known as “5+1”; or four real bottles and two fake ones, known as “4+2.” By mixing authentic and fake products, sellers can reduce the overall cost of a case and attract consumers with low prices.
Media reports suggest that during this year’s 618 period, several major liquor companies such as Wuliangye, Maotai, and Guotai Liquor have issued online channel statements or warnings, addressing issues like the sale of counterfeit products through unofficial channels. This indicates that problems like low-price counterfeits and unauthorized sales channels still exist in China’s Baijiu e-commerce market.
For regular consumers, it becomes difficult to determine the source and authenticity of a product just based on the platform page, especially when online prices are tens to hundreds of yuan lower than offline prices.
Under the influence of low-price promotions, offline liquor retailers are facing greater price pressures. The Economic Daily News mentioned that offline stores have expenses such as rent, labor, and warehousing, making it challenging for them to keep up with long-term low prices seen online.