Gebrüder Weiss: E-Commerce Solutions for Leading Brands

Made from fermented sorghum or other varieties of grain, baijiu is considered China’s national drink and is one of the world’s most popular spirits. 

So significant is the beverage in its homeland that premium brands are seen as luxury goods and a status symbol. 

On hand to offer dedicated e-commerce solutions for some of China’s most prestigious baijiu brands is Gebrüder Weiss, the international transport and logistics firm with history stretching back more than 500 years. 

With 19 branches in the Greater China region, its services include storage, packing, delivery across China, insurance options, shipment traceability and professional customer service. 

“We’ve set up a warehouse in the western Chinese city of Chengdu, complete with its very own team, and developed a logistics solution designed to meet the specific requirements for high-end spirit brands,” says Yongquan Chen, General Manager of Gebrüder Weiss in China.

 Serving China’s biggest baijiu brands

As the world’s oldest transport company, Gebrüder Weiss prioritises continuously improving supply chains.

Its expertise in developing industry-specific strategic plans to improve and advance customers’ operations is what truly distinguishes Gebrüder Weiss from other logistics organisations. 

In China, when customers order baijiu products from any of China’s numerous retail platforms, the relevant data is sent straight to Gebrüder Weiss for order fulfilment. 

Goods are then collected from the warehouse, inspected, provided with a code and packed up before being shipped to the end customer by truck or air freight. 

Many of the most famous spirits are produced in the area around Chengdu, a major metropolis in the province of Sichuan. Chengdu is the most modern and economically important city in Western China and serves as a key transport hub.

Gebrüder Weiss, which has been running its own location in Chengdu since 2006, provides its services to baijiu brands including Quanxing, Fenggu, Jiangkouchun, the Sichuan Liquor Group (Chidu) and Xiaojiaolou.

“Gebrüder Weiss’ services have improved our logistics and reduced the amount of damage to our products during transport,” comments Wang Xikai, Head of E-Commerce at Quanxing.

“This has enhanced our customers’ shopping experience and is helping us to hold our own amid the tough competition in e-commerce.”

Ensuring traceability

Premium spirit brands face a host of challenges when it comes to e-commerce and warehousing. 

Flexibility, quick response times and reliable customer service are crucial for enabling brands to adapt to changes in consumer structure and consumption patterns.

What’s also essential is ensuring traceability throughout the supply chain. High-end baijiu products are expensive and customers must be able to trust that they are genuine. 

“If the spirits themselves and the packaging are not professionally managed and tracked, this allows fake products to break into the market, damaging the brand’s reputation and undermining customer confidence,” explains Yongquan Chen. 

“The authenticity of any returned products needs to be verified too. Our tracking and management system with unique QR codes and corresponding order numbers guarantees this.” 

What’s more, Gebrüder Weiss’ warehousing system assigns parcels or gift boxes in the right size to each order, while the customer service team is quick and professional in dealing with after-sales issues such as overdue orders or changes of address.

******

Check out the latest edition of Supply Chain Magazine and sign up to our global conference series – Procurement and Supply Chain LIVE 2024. 

******

Supply Chain Digital is a BizClik brand.