In July and August of this year, the high temperatures continuously hit the extreme, but surprisingly, down jackets sold very well. According to market research results, in July, 43% of merchants in the down jacket professional market - Pinghu China Clothing City - saw an increase in order volume; In August, the momentum continued unabated, with 1.6 million down jackets sold in just three days and over 4500 customers coming to purchase. At its peak, it reached 2000 people, with sales reaching 320 million yuan. The higher the temperature, the better the sales. What is the logic behind the "hot selling" of down jackets in summer?
Yao Xiaoman, Honorary Chairman of the China Down Industry Association, stated in an interview with reporters that off-season sales of down jackets are not a newly proposed form of sales. This sales model has actually been around for more than 20 years, "Yao Xiaoman told reporters. Most down product companies sell products that were not sold during the winter season in the summer at low prices or much cheaper than the regular price, in order to recoup funds and use them to purchase new fabrics and other raw materials for reproduction. This is also why businesses are eager to sell out of season in the summer and sell at cheap prices
How cheap are down products sold out of season? The media quoted Ms. Li, a customer who went to Pinghu China Clothing City for procurement, as saying, "Wholesale prices for down jackets are half as cheap this season. During the peak season, the average price for a piece of clothing is 400 yuan, but now it's less than 200 yuan." The person in charge of Pinghu China Clothing City also stated, "Since 2017, many businesses have started selling off season styles. This year, they even put up discount promotion brands early on, and some even shouted '100% off for the whole store', attracting many wholesale buyers. Some businesses directly display their products to consumers through live streaming sales, short video marketing and other methods
Most of the products sold out of season are products with inventory backlog. Because the new products of that year cannot be stockpiled, once they become stockpiled, the enterprise will 'not be able to turn around.' Yao Xiaoman introduced that out of season sales are a method of clearing inventory, not only in the down industry, but also in other industries.
For enterprises, clearing inventory for sale is a way to find a bargain for consumers. So, can the quality of products sold out of season be guaranteed? Regarding this, Yao Xiaoman said, "As long as it is a legitimate and market recognized brand with no quality issues, consumers can buy it
In this way, on the surface, off-season sales are beneficial to both ends of the down industry, namely the production end of enterprises and the consumption end of the market. But is this actually the case? The "Pinghu · China Down Jacket Index Briefing" for July 2024, released this month, states that "summer marketing strategies for down jackets may become a double-edged sword. The anti season live streaming sales of down jackets have sparked a craze, gradually shifting from clearing inventory to a marketing strategy. However, in the short term, the surge in sales may overdraw consumer demand and impact the autumn and winter markets. The reason is that the off-season down jacket market is hot, and businesses need to clear their off-season inventory before the peak season arrives. However, the sales boom during the off-season has consumed some of the potential demand for autumn and winter ahead of schedule. In this regard, the briefing provides industry recommendations that businesses need to deeply cultivate the field of original design, use unique creativity as the driving force, enhance product added value, and stand out in the upcoming peak season.