Down Jackets in High Demand: Rising Prices and Increased Production

CCTV reporter Liu Yanlin visited a down product company in Huai’an, Jiangsu, to explore the process of goose feather classification and distribution to different down product sales companies. The process relies on a massive “five-compartment feather sorting machine” that stands 22.5 meters high, equivalent to a 9-story residential building. The machine uses a fan to separate feathers into five compartments based on their weight, which are then packaged and sent to various down product companies.

According to the company’s head, the first compartment of down is supplied to badminton manufacturers, while the second and third compartments are provided to the home textile industry. The fourth and fifth compartments, containing over 90% down, are sold to down jacket manufacturers. Due to growing downstream demand, down is in short supply, and prices are rising.

Zhou Yuhai, head of a down products company in Jiangsu, reported that the price of goose down with 90% down content has increased from 650,000 yuan/ton in November 2022 to 1.3 million yuan/ton currently.

The rising price of down has led to increased costs for consumers, who now require higher down content in their down jackets. At a down jacket manufacturer in Jiaxing, Zhejiang, workers are rushing to complete orders for this winter. The person in charge noted that the filling volume of a down jacket has increased from 100-200 grams in previous years to 300 grams this year.

Zhu Lanyue, head of a down jacket production company in Zhejiang, stated that the company uses approximately 20 tons of down per year. Since the beginning of the year, the price of duck down has increased from 390,000 yuan per ton to 540,000 yuan per ton, resulting in an additional expenditure of at least 4-5 million yuan.

A visit to several companies revealed that the current wholesale price of finished down jackets ranges from 200 yuan to 500 yuan, with a general increase of about 10%. This year, companies are experiencing a good order situation and are increasing production.

Qian Ke, head of a down jacket production company in Zhejiang, reported that last year’s orders totaled around 50,000, while this year’s orders have already exceeded 100,000 pieces.