AOM INT'L (00381) has announced that following its acquisition of Fujian Aged Wine Investment Group Co., Ltd. on May 31, 2024, the liquor trading segment within its beverage business has become a new reportable and operating category for the year ending December 31, 2024. To further expand its beverage operations, the group plans to initiate self-operated and franchised projects for Fujian Aged Wine stew pot restaurants in 2026.
In the current economic climate, identifying high-quality investment opportunities is a primary objective for many investors. Amid economic slowdowns, consumption downgrading, and intense competition across sectors, generating profits has become increasingly difficult, and securing returns on investment is challenging. The traditional food and beverage industry is particularly competitive, with frequent openings and closures, while rising costs for rent, utilities, and labor continue to squeeze profit margins.
Against this backdrop, the Fujian Aged Wine stew pot project emerges, aiming to capitalize on the health trend within the trillion-yuan餐饮 (catering) market and benefit from consumption upgrading. The core strategy integrates traditional wisdom, modern餐饮 practices, and cultural experiences.
The project focuses on addressing key investor concerns: capital security, profitability, and profit scale. Consumer demand is shifting from mere taste experiences to a comprehensive pursuit of health and quality, with low-fat, low-sugar, and nutritionally balanced options becoming new standards. The integration of online information access, social sharing, and offline experiential consumption is now mainstream, creating significant opportunities for health-oriented餐饮 brands with branding potential and scalability.
While stew pot restaurants are proliferating nationwide, the market is still nascent, with no dominant national leader or chain exceeding a thousand stores, presenting substantial growth potential for the Fujian Aged Wine project.
The project leverages the nearly 200-year heritage of the Gushan brand, a Fujian wine producer with origins dating back to the Daoguang era of the Qing Dynasty. Officially registered in 1958, the Gushan brand has been recognized with two National Silver Quality Medals for Superior Wine and designated as a "China Time-Honored Brand" by the Ministry of Commerce. Its traditional brewing techniques are listed as intangible cultural heritage.
Product features include medicinal herbs sourced from the group's associated company, Hubei Golden Grass Hall Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd., and a unique secret starter culture, creating a rich base flavor. Distinctive stew pot recipes utilize double-boiling to perfectly blend ingredient flavors with the aroma of aged wine. The group plans to invest tens of millions to build a robust supply chain, reducing procurement costs at the source, minimizing labor and kitchen space requirements, and enhancing store profitability. The product line is diverse, covering liquor series, culinary wine series, condiments, beverages, and drinking-aged wine series.
A comprehensive success assurance system includes strong brand backing and a multi-faceted support strategy. Scientifically-backed product efficacy features red yeast rice, naturally rich in statins, proven to regulate blood lipids and support cardiovascular health. Yellow wine, used as a medicinal base, is rich in active components that nourish blood, promote circulation, and boost immunity.
An innovative "1+N" business model combines offline dine-in/takeaway with online food delivery platforms. AI-powered smart micro-kitchens enable 24/7 revenue generation, breaking traditional time and space constraints. These micro-kitchens, provided with full equipment support by the brand for a small deposit, offer advantages like unmanned 24-hour retail, AI-precise cooking, consumer data collection, and brand advertising displays. Locations are targeted within 1-3 kilometers of central experience stores, covering high-traffic areas such as office buildings, universities, hospitals, and upscale communities.
Full-chain empowerment includes centralized ingredient sourcing, standardized products reducing kitchen space, lean operations minimizing labor, and efficient logistics controlling waste, all contributing to easier store profitability.
A three-fold guarantee mechanism ensures investment security. The brand holds a 51% stake, deeply aligning interests with franchisees and sharing operational risks for a near-zero-risk investment. The project also offers full-cycle, one-stop support policies, including free assistance with site selection, store design, staff training, launch planning, and ongoing operational guidance.
Investment return analysis indicates multiple revenue streams for investors. Core profits come from dine-in and delivery operations. Additional sales profits are generated from AI smart micro-kitchen vending machines and group derivative products. After recouping investment, investors, as 49% shareholders, enjoy substantial dividend income. Potential capital gains from rising brand value are also anticipated. Based on precise financial calculations, both standard and flagship stores are projected to have very short payback periods, followed by stable, significant dividend returns.
Cooperation policies promote transparency, fairness, and mutual benefit, offering standard and flagship store options. The brand contributes 51% through brand, operations, and supply chain resources, while franchisees invest 49% and participate in management. Comprehensive support covers location, renovation, launch, operations, marketing, and new product development, ensuring a smooth start and steady management. Store designs blend modern simplicity with Chinese elements, creating a healthy, elegant, and comfortable dining environment. Core product series include signature aged wine stew pots, specialty flavored stew pots, Southern Fujian staple foods, and traditional desserts and beverages.