China's down, feather industry keeps growing, focuses on high-quality development

China has become a significant country for the feather industry, and will continue to improve its brand building, product quality, channels and services through consumption upgrading, said Yao Xiaoman, vice-chairperson of the International Down and Feather Bureau at a recent seminar on China's down and feather industry.

According to official statistics, China generated a total of over 400,000 tons of feathers in 2018, which created nearly $4 billion in revenue through export, accounting for over 70 percent of the market share.

More than 80 percent of the down jackets and bedding of globally renowned brands were produced in China last year.

The industry's export volume has grown for two years in a row. In the first half of this year, the export volume expanded 10.9 percent from a year ago, and the whole-year figure is expected to hit $4 billion.

Despite the remarkable achievements, Yao noted that most of the entities in the industry are still original equipment manufacturers, and the industry still needs to enhance its innovation and brand-building capabilities.

Statistics released by the China National Commercial Information Center indicated that the average unit price for down jackets sold in major Chinese retail stores grew from 471 yuan ($67) in 2016 to 645 yuan in 2018, the highest in eight years.

"These figures reflected an obvious trend for consumption upgrading in the down jacket market," said Gao Dekang, president of Textile and Garment Chamber of Commerce under All-China Federation of Industry and Commerce.

As the domestic consumption market keeps upgrading, consumers have a higher demand for down and feather products in function and quality, Yao explained, saying that price is losing its dominance in the market, and consumers now value the quality and cultural connotations of the brands.