In 2022, with the rise of the outdoor economy and the overall poor environment, textile workers who make tent fabrics are making a lot of money.
But as more and more textile companies turn their attention to the outdoor industry, the market will inevitably expand. The smart textile people thought of looking for the next “gold mine”. Not to mention, there is really such a “new blue ocean”.
Ice and snow sports are developing rapidly
On March 12, the first session of the 14th National People’s Congress held its fifth plenary session at the Great Hall of the People. In the subsequent “Ministerial Channel” interview, Gao Zhidan, director of the State Sports General Administration, said when talking about ice and snow sports , in the post-Winter Olympics period, we must continue to implement the ice and snow sports strategy in depth. , continue to consolidate and expand the achievements of “driving 300 million people to participate in ice and snow sports“.
The proposal to develop ice and snow sports did not start now, but the real impact will not be until after the Winter Olympics. Especially during the Spring Festival that just passed, going to the snow resort has become a fashion.
The rise of an industry will inevitably lead to the development of related industries. With the popularity of ice and snow sports, it is self-evident that the demand for related equipment will increase.
According to data from the ““Driving 300 million people to participate in ice and snow sports“Statistical Survey Report, as of In October 2021October, the number of people participating in ice and snow sports across the country has reached 3.46 billion people, and the resident participation rate reached 24.56%. Although the number of people participating in ice and snow sports across the country has reached 346 billion, the number of residents under 18 participating in ice and snow sports Only 0.46 billion. At the same time, according to data from the “In-Depth Research and Development Prospects Forecast Report on the Current Situation of China’s Ski Industry (2023-2029)”, 2022Among my country’s ice and snow sports groups in 2017, 27-39 ice and snow enthusiasts accounted for the largest proportion, reaching 58.4%; followed by 40-49 enthusiasts, accounting for 23.6%.
“High-end consumption” dominates
In terms of ice and snow clothing, although there was a certain foundation before and the technology development was relatively mature, judging from its current scale and future development prospects, it is difficult to match the growing market. The textile market related to ice and snow sports is still It is a big blue ocean.
Compared with traditional down jackets, ice and snow sportswear requires stronger functionality. In addition to the traditional cold-proof function, it also puts forward higher requirements for waterproofing, UV protection, wear resistance and other functions. Therefore, at this stage, some sports brands are mainly involved in this aspect, but for more textile companies, the level of participation is not so high. This has also led to the overall price of related functional clothing at this stage being relatively high, which belongs to “high-end consumption”.
Popularity and cost-effectiveness are the only way to go
However, “high-end consumption” cannot become real mass consumption after all. Skiwear, which costs thousands of dollars, if simply used to participate in skiing, will have an impact on more than 3 billion people. For the potential market, it is still too luxurious. But from another perspective, the importance of sportswear is very strong in ice and snow sports. Traditional down jackets are not suitable for consumption during sports. As a result, market demand has emerged.
Take last year’s most popular outdoor fabrics as an example. Outdoor camping used to be the choice of niche consumers and had high requirements for functionality. There were only a few professional outdoor equipment brands doing it, and the prices were also very high. . However, as the market sinks to ordinary consumers, the prices of camping equipment such as outdoor tents have plummeted. Although the functionality has been reduced, they can basically meet the needs of ordinary consumers.
The future of ice and snow sportswear may follow a similar path.On the other hand, the prices of high-end brands may still be so expensive, but they may only occupy a small part of the market. When it sinks into the market of 3 people, there will be a lot of functionality and cost-effectiveness. Sportswear that’s both versatile. Compared with tents, another advantage of this type of clothing is that it can be used directly as a down jacket in winter, and consumers are more accepting of it.
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