In the New Year, deepening transformation and upgrading, improving development resilience, and resolving risks and challenges will remain the development theme of the home textile industry.

The industry is operating under stable pressure

Although the return of foreign trade orders and the fading of dividends will have an impact on the export of the industry, the overall development of the domestic textile industry shows resilience, the domestic market is stable on the whole, and the industry is under pressure in stable operation.

Affected by order return, dividend fading, multiple epidemic points frequent, as well as the global economic downturn and consumption weakness, the export of domestic textile products has an obvious downward trend.

From the sub-industry, the bedding industry as a whole maintained steady growth, towel industry showed a continuous contraction, the growth of cloth industry fell.

Towel industry as a whole is shrinking. According to customs statistics, from January to November 2022, China's towel exports were 2.421 billion dollars, down 2.76 percent year on year. Among the major export markets, except for the Japanese market, which maintained growth, the other markets all decreased to varying degrees, among which the export volume to the first ASEAN market decreased by 3.44% year-on-year.

In 2022, the growth of cloth art reached an inflection point, which decreased after maintaining a high growth rate in recent years. Fabric products such as curtains, decorative fabrics and other export drop significantly.

Domestic sales of home textiles are generally stable. In the first quarter of 2022, the production and logistics pressure caused by the rising cost of raw materials and the multiple spread of the epidemic in China was prominent, which seriously affected the orders of enterprises, and the benefits of the home textile industry fell sharply. With the improvement of the epidemic prevention and control situation in China, the operation of the industry has gradually recovered, but the pressure of home textile enterprises is still there, and the operating rate is basically maintained at 80%. Weak market demand limits the growth space of the industry.

Multi-point force for breakthrough

In 2023, how will the home textile industry get out of the cold winter in the post-epidemic era, practice internal skills and achieve high-quality development?

First, to speed up digital transformation, enterprises should make efforts from multiple dimensions, such as "integration of the two", "intelligent manufacturing", "model innovation", "product upgrading" and "channel reform", to accelerate their progress towards the high-end of the industrial chain.

Second, we should pay attention to the changes in the structure of supply and demand, seize the historical opportunity of the establishment of cultural confidence, pay attention to the characteristics of the demand for new consumer groups, and integrate more personalized and refined development into the trend of new consumption.

Third, we should cultivate competitive brands, promote the supply of high-quality, functional and green products from upstream and downstream of the industrial chain, form an inseparable industrial community, and promote high-end development. Improve the added value of products, and truly cultivate a group of terminal brands with visibility and consumption guidance ability in the consumer market.

Fourth, we should promote diversified innovation, focus on tackling key problems in basic technologies and key standards, and constantly develop functional and differentiated products.

In the new era and with new opportunities, our home textile industry should reconstruct its competitive advantage through "digital innovation", enable brand development through "cultural innovation", and lead low-carbon consumption through "green innovation", so as to meet the needs of the people for a better life and contribute industry wisdom and strength.

Speed up the layout of trendy track

At present, many home textile enterprises have tried to make breakthroughs in the national tide, great health, sustainable consumption trends.

In the spring/summer release conference of 2022, Mercury Home Textiles launched a co-branded series with Dunhuang Museum. This series combines home textiles products with elements of national style. It is jointly created by Dunhuang Museum's official cultural and creative brand -- Silk Road Hand Letter design team and Mercury Home Textiles team, integrating ancient art with young fashion. The colors of Dunhuang murals, nine-color deer, Buddha's hand and other elements as design inspiration, meaning colorful life, happiness, widely praised by the consumer market.

In July 2022, Mercury Home Textile, China Home Textile Association and China Sleep Research Association jointly released 2021 China Quilt Core White Paper, in-depth analysis of sleep problems. Based on this research, Mercury Home Textile launched a three-dimensional product matrix with quilt core as the core, to provide a complete sleeping plan for people with different consumption needs.

Rolle Life has released a carbon neutral roadmap for its business, aiming to reach peak carbon neutrality by 2028 and carbon neutrality by 2050. In order to better fulfill its own "double carbon" goal, Luolai Life takes the lead in carrying out zero-carbon products and zero-carbon factory pilot, and plans to achieve 100% electrification by 2040 and 100% green electricity by 2050. In 2023, Luolai Life will also pay close attention to the development of related technologies and the application of home textiles, and continue to bring consumers health, comfort and beautiful home life.

At present, the home textile industry needs to further promote structural adjustment, accelerate transformation and upgrading, steadily release development resilience and anti-risk ability, and strive to promote the high-quality development of the industry to achieve new results.