(Yicai) June 28 -- Leading down jacket makers such as Bosideng and Canada Goose are benefiting from new industry standards that are driving a consolidation in the Chinese market, according to a garment industry veteran.

Among other things, the standards introduced in 2022 require higher-quality feathers to be used in down jackets, forcing the exit of smaller players and concentrating the market on fewer producers, Tao Jing told Yicai.

Shifting consumer tastes mean down jackets are now fashion wear, not just a warm winter clothing option. Three-quarters of consumers buy at least one a year, according to the findings of a recent survey done by the Zhiyanzhan Industry Research Institute.

To extend the sales season from winter to spring and autumn, Bosideng, the leading Chinese maker of down jackets, has come out with lightweight products in recent years that suit temperature ranges from minus five degrees Celsius to 10C.

Net profit at the Shanghai-based company, where down jackets account for more than four-fifths of business, jumped 45 percent to CNY3.1 billion (USD429.3 million) in the fiscal year that ended March 31.

Sales at Canada Goose, a leading maker of performance luxury apparel, have also benefited. Its sales rose 30 percent in China in the first quarter of this year, while the number of Chinese tourists shopping at its stores in Japan has surged, resulting in double-digit sales growth. 

The Chinese market for down jackets may reach CNY227 billion (USD31.2 billion) this year after expanding 16 percent to about CNY196 billion last year, according to a research report by Shenzhen-based AskCI Consulting. 

Editor: Emmi Laine