A major shift is occurring in China 's $ 14.2bn wine market as consumers opt to buy cheaper wines online , upending the traditionally - dominant large - scale importers . Online giants , JD.com and Alibaba 's Tmall , have moved into the market , selling a combined 45 m bottles of wine last year forcing traditional producers to re - think their strategies to compete with lower - cost , local , and smaller brands . The shift in preference to cheaper wines is believed to be due to Beijing 's reliance on ostentatious marketing and corruption .
A major shift is occurring in China's $14.2bn wine market as consumers opt to buy cheaper wines online, upending the traditionally-dominant large-scale importers. Online giants, JD.com and Alibaba's Tmall, have moved into the market, selling a combined 45m bottles of wine last year forcing traditional importers to re-think their strategies to compete with lower-cost, local, and smaller firms. The shift in preference to cheaper wines is said to be linked to Beijing's crackdown on ostentatious spending and corruption.