A children’s down jacket manufacturer in Huzhou City, Zhejiang Province recently revealed that the down content in the down feathers used in their production and sales is essentially zero. Industry insiders say that due to rising costs of down, many low-priced products on the market are substandard. This news made it to the top search trends on Baidu on November 24th.
According to reports from Daxiang News on November 23rd, a clothing factory in Zhili, Huzhou City, during a livestream, claimed, “No need for 998, no need for 198,” and “Down jackets for children for only 89,” selling children’s down jackets at prices far lower than the market rates.
However, testing by relevant authorities found that the down content in the down feathers of the jackets sold by the factory, which were labeled as 70% down, was essentially 0%.
Currently, more than 70,000 down jackets worth over 7 million yuan have been confiscated.
The company’s spokesperson stated that they started producing down jackets in July, but business has been slow this year, and with high down prices, they used “shredded fur” to cut costs and lower prices.
Industry insiders revealed to media outlet Lanjing Finance that down jackets priced at over 100 yuan are definitely not made of 90% authentic white goose down, and many do not even require testing as they are 100% fake.
With the arrival of winter in China, people are starting to purchase warm winter clothing, and down jackets, known for being light and warm, are popular among consumers. Many live streams offer down jackets for as low as a hundred yuan, and sales of goose down jackets are remarkable.
The filling material of down jackets is mostly duck down and goose down, with goose down generally of higher quality and price compared to duck down under similar maturity levels. As a result, goose down jackets, being warmer, are gradually becoming the preferred choice among the public.
According to Lanjing Finance on November 23rd, a goose down jacket priced at 159.9 yuan sold 12,000 units during a livestream, with sales exceeding 2 million yuan. However, some consumers who purchased the jacket discovered upon inspection that the filling was not goose down. Despite inquiries from Lanjing reporters, the store selling the jacket insisted it contained 90% goose down.
In response, industry insiders noted that this year, the overall price of down materials has increased by 30% to 40% compared to the same period last year. If calculated based on a down jacket containing 200 grams of white goose down, the cost of raw materials alone exceeds 200 yuan.
Depending on the amount of filling in different styles, the cost of down in a down jacket generally ranges between 1/3 and 1/2 of the direct cost. For a down jacket containing 200 grams of white duck down, the material cost is approximately 100 yuan. The total cost of producing a down jacket includes fabric, processing, auxiliary materials, labor, storage, and will not be lower than 300 yuan.
Taking into account factors like rent, transportation, return rates, and seasonal inventory risks, the markup rate for unbranded down jackets is typically around 2 to 3 times, with even higher premiums for well-known brands. Industry experts estimate that this winter, the increase in raw material costs for different styles of down jackets will range from 20 to 50 yuan, translating to a retail price increase of hundreds of yuan per item.
Industry experts caution consumers that the price of down is publicly available, and based on the filling amount, one can roughly estimate the raw material cost of down jackets. With the overall rise in down prices, it is crucial to be cautious when purchasing extremely low-priced down jackets.
An internet user, “Zhong’s Fashion Circle,” also reminds everyone that it is impossible to buy a 90% down jacket for under 300 yuan for a short style, or under 500 yuan for a long style! Unless it’s leftover stock from previous years or not genuine 90% down! Those who understand are aware that industrial costs are transparent!