Kweichow Moutai tightly controls the supply of its drinks, with retail prices starting around 1,500 yuan for bottles that have for years been the tipple of choice for China's elite government and business circles.
"Recently the overall economic environment was bad, anything that has a potential to increase in value is popular," said independent liquor industry analyst Cai Xuefei. Fine international wines and spirits have long been a target for wealthier Chinese. Bricks-and-mortar stores are also trusted more by some customers as less likely to sell fake Moutai, on which police have cracked down in recent years.Investment options available to the Chinese public are limited due to stringent controls on outbound money transfers.
Moutai's drinks, consumed neat, often downed in shots, firstly sell fast in the primary market, even at already hefty prices. The company lost some of its lustre during a high-profile anti-corruption drive by President Xi Jinping launched in 2012 that reined in lavish entertainment spending by businesses and government officials.