Is the High - profit Era of Sake Agency Coming to an End? Pay Attention to These 3 Signals

Under the warm yellow light of a late - night izakaya, Mr. Zhang gently swirls the amber - colored wine glass. The chilled "Dassai" condenses fine water droplets on the glass wall. "How many secrets are hidden in the journey of this bottle of wine from Japan to the Chinese dining table?" He suddenly poses an interesting question to his neighbor. Indeed, with the annual 23% growth rate of Japanese restaurants in China, sake import agency is quietly becoming a new blue - ocean track in the liquor industry.

Customs data shows that in 2023, China's sake import volume surged by 41% year - on - year, among which the proportion of mid - high - end products exceeded 60% for the first time. Ms. Li's experience is quite representative: "Three years ago, when I asked the agent for goods, they only gave me a quotation list for daiginjo. Now, there are more than a dozen types of junmai sake to choose from." Behind this change is the dual impetus of consumption upgrading and the popularization of Japanese cuisine.

• Trend of category segmentation: Expanding from a single daiginjo to niche categories such as honjozo and nama genshu
• Phenomenon of channel sinking: Japanese restaurants in second - and third - tier cities are starting to be equipped with sake refrigerated display cabinets as a standard
• Diversification of scenarios: New scenarios such as wedding banquets and corporate customization account for an increase to 18%

At a certain industry exchange meeting, the case shared by Mr. Zhang was impressive: The first batch of 2,000 bottles of limited - edition sake was detained at the customs for 47 days due to the omission of yeast type in the customs declaration documents, missing the best sales period. This reveals the particularity of sake agency:

1. Qualification maze: It is necessary to obtain 5 types of qualifications simultaneously, including the certification of the Japan Sake and Shochu Makers Association and the Chinese Food Business License

2. Cold - chain lifeline: The transportation cost below 5°C throughout the whole process is 30% higher than that of ordinary wine, but the quality difference can reach 2 grades

3. Cultural premium: Consumers are willing to pay a premium of over 40% for craftsmanship concepts such as "kanzukuri" and "tobinakoi"

Different from traditional wine merchants, Zhongshitong's "Three - stage Quality Control System" is rewriting industry standards: Sending technical supervisors to the original factory stage, using - 2°C constant - temperature containers during the shipping stage, and completing full - channel distribution within 48 hours after arrival at the port. This model has enabled the "Juyondai" series it represents to achieve a zero - loss rate in 2023.

What is more noteworthy is its digital inventory system, which can intelligently allocate goods according to regional consumption data. For example, increasing the reserve of dry sake for the Sichuan - Chongqing region and focusing on light and refreshing flavors for the Yangtze River Delta region. This precise operation has increased the turnover efficiency by 2.3 times.

With the Japanese JSS Association launching the "Sake 2025 Globalization Plan", the industry is about to face a reshuffle. However, Ms. Li reminds: "Now some agents label ordinary wine as limited - edition, with a price inflated 3 - 5 times. Such short - sighted behavior is harming the market."

The real opportunities lie in:

• Developing innovative drinking methods such as sake cocktails
• Creating a scenario - based experience of "sake + kaiseki cuisine"
• Establishing a traceable vintage wine certification system