WLY suddenly lowers prices, the first time in ten years

On December 5th, market news reported that Wuliangye will adjust the price of the eighth generation Wuliangye starting next year. The payment price will remain unchanged at 1,019 yuan per bottle, but a payment discount of 119 yuan per bottle will be offered, making the invoiced price 900 yuan per bottle. Subsequently, China News Weekly contacted Wuliangye Group regarding the price adjustment, and the relevant person in charge stated that they were "not clear." However, several industry insiders confirmed to China News Weekly that the news is true, stating, "If the manufacturer's subsidy is included, it can drop to over 800 yuan per bottle." For distilleries, the payment price is usually relatively stable, and any adjustment is a significant marketing decision; the invoiced price is more flexible and often serves as a benchmark for channel incentives and rebate calculations, acting as a tool for manufacturers to control channels. By not adjusting the payment price and only adjusting the invoiced price, the impact on the market can be minimized. After all, just last year on February 5th, Wuliangye had just raised the factory price of the eighth generation Wuliangye from 969 yuan per bottle to 1,019 yuan per bottle. However, essentially, adjusting the invoiced price also constitutes a "disguised official price reduction." The last time Wuliangye implemented an "official price reduction" dates back to 2014. In May of that year, Wuliangye announced that the factory price of its core product, the 52-degree crystal bottle Wuliangye, would be adjusted from 729 yuan per bottle to 609 yuan per bottle, with a group purchase price of 659 yuan per bottle, and the retail guidance price reduced from 1,109 yuan per bottle to 729 yuan per bottle. An industry insider in the liquor sector pointed out to China News Weekly that since the beginning of this year, Wuliangye has faced serious price inversion issues, leading to significant pressure on distributors. Lowering the invoiced price will help alleviate the burden on channels. However, it should be noted that even with the new invoiced price, Wuliangye's market circulation price remains in an inverted state. According to the third-party liquor price monitoring platform "Today's Liquor Price," as of December 6th, the price of the 500ml 52-degree eighth generation Wuliangye was 850 yuan per bottle. Not long before this price adjustment, Wuliangye had just announced its third-quarter report for 2025. In the first three quarters of this year, Wuliangye achieved revenue of 60.945 billion yuan, a year-on-year decrease of 10.26%, and a net profit attributable to the parent company of 21.511 billion yuan, a year-on-year decrease of 13.72%. This marks the first negative revenue growth for Wuliangye since 2015, and the net profit growth rate has reached its lowest level since 2016. Focusing on the third quarter, the situation was even more "grim." Data shows that Wuliangye achieved revenue of 8.174 billion yuan in the third quarter, a year-on-year decrease of 52.66%, and a net profit attributable to the parent company of 2.019 billion yuan, a year-on-year decrease of 65.62%. In terms of revenue, it was surpassed by Shanxi Fenjiu, which achieved revenue of 8.960 billion yuan during the same period, placing Wuliangye third in the industry; in terms of profit, it lagged behind Luzhou Laojiao's 3.099 billion yuan and Shanxi Fenjiu's 2.899 billion yuan, dropping Wuliangye to fourth in the industry. Regarding the reasons for the decline in third-quarter performance, Wuliangye stated in its announcement that the decrease in operating revenue was mainly due to the deep adjustment period in the liquor industry and the recovery of effective demand being less than expected; the decline in net profit was primarily due to the decrease in operating revenue and the company's increased investment to respond to market changes Source: China News Weekly Risk Warning and Disclaimer The market has risks, and investment requires caution. This article does not constitute personal investment advice and does not take into account the specific investment goals, financial situation, or needs of individual users. Users should consider whether any opinions, views, or conclusions in this article are suitable for their specific circumstances. Investment based on this is at one's own risk