On July 7, the topic of "a monthly salary of 20,000 yuan can't afford to play badminton" once rushed to the hot search.
On July 7, Comprehensive Blue Whale News and Dahe Daily reported that since the beginning of this year, several major domestic badminton manufacturers have raised their prices many times, and some models have increased by more than 60%. At the same time, the consumption of badminton is booming, and the volume of social media has risen significantly. Many badminton enthusiasts complained, "Badminton has become an 'aristocratic sport'". Some golfers ridiculed that badminton has become a new type of "financial product".
"Buying a ball makes it feel like a stock trader!" A badminton enthusiast in Chaoyang, Beijing, lamented, "Since the beginning of this year, the price of badminton has continued to soar. But there is no way, the ball still has to be played. After that, he showed the Blue Whale News reporter the "warehouse" he built, "Yashilong No. 4 and Shengli Competition No. 3 each hoarded a box, which is enough to last for a year." ”
Badminton collectively increased in price
The "wool traders" made a fortune
In the consumer environment of price wars, the successive price increases of badminton are particularly eye-catching.
According to Blue Whale News, at the beginning of July, badminton manufacturers such as Yonex, Double Happiness, Lingmei, Victor, Chaopai, and Yashilong ushered in a new round of price increases. So far, the price increase of domestic head badminton manufacturers is generally two or three percent higher than last year, and the price increase of some models is as high as more than 60%.
Taking the badminton "price king" Yonex as an example, the retail price of its mainstream high-end AS-05 badminton rose from 210 yuan/play before April to 225 yuan/play, and the price soared further after July, reaching 275 yuan/play. A 20-year-old senior badminton enthusiast told reporters that there will be discounts when buying more, and more than two years ago from the wholesaler to get the goods only 95 yuan / dozen, last year's price was still about 100 yuan to 110 yuan per dozen, some time ago it rose to 130 yuan, and the latest price has risen to 160 yuan.
The director of a badminton production factory in Fuyang, Hangzhou, told reporters that the current price increase is an industry-wide trend, whether it is a brand or a white label, all prices have increased.
The flip side of the price increase is the stockout. The reporter inquired and found that taking Yonex, the head brand of badminton, as an example, all 6 natural badminton balls in its Jingdong self-operated store have been sold out; However, there are three types of balls on sale in the Tmall flagship store, of which the AS-40EX with a tube of 320 yuan is positioned as a ball for international competitions, and it is not the most commonly used model for ordinary enthusiasts.
JD.com's customer service said that the shortage of badminton has lasted for almost a month, and the shortage is due to the manufacturer's lack of production capacity, and it is not yet clear when it will be re-shelved.
However, some of the aforementioned brands can still be purchased in dealer stores. An online dealer of Yonex told reporters, "At present, the ball is in short supply, and the current batch of goods is stockpiled before, and it is estimated that it will be sold out in the next two days, and it is not sure when it will arrive." ”
Chen Zui, a badminton equipment blogger who is well versed in the industry, told reporters that the price increase is a dynamic game of many parties, including the brand, the factory that makes the ball and the "wool dealer" who does the badminton business. A person close to the "wool traders" revealed that they have made money this time, and they have made more money this year than they have earned for a long time in previous years.
Badminton prices "rose again and again"
Why, exactly?
Different from most ball sports, badminton has the characteristics of easy wear, and new balls need to be replaced frequently in daily training and competitions, and goose and duck "feathers" are the core raw materials of badminton.
According to Dahe Daily, about the reason for the price increase, Zhao Wen, manager of the sports division of Henan Chaoji Commerce Group Co., Ltd., has asked the manufacturer many times, and the reply has always been that there is a shortage of raw materials, "The price of badminton wool has risen, and the ball must also rise."
Zhao Wen told reporters in detail: a badminton ball needs 16 feathers, each goose's left wing and right wing each up to 7 pieces of feathers are suitable for making badminton, plus the size of the feather, the thickness of the feather tube is different, it takes more than 2 geese to use the left wing and the right wing of the feather to make 1 ball. You can also use duck feathers, but you also need knife feathers, which are not much lower than goose feather balls.
Regarding the price increase of badminton, some practitioners believe that the continuous rise in the price of hair is the main reason.
Zhao Xia (not her real name), a small town on the edge of northeastern Henan Province, has been in the feather business for nearly 30 years and is one of the largest suppliers of feathers in central China.
Zhao Xia showed reporters a reservation payment record, "Now there is a serious shortage of wool chips on the market, especially knife feathers, which need to be booked in advance, and they may not be able to buy them quickly with cash."
According to Zhao Xia, at the end of last year, the wholesale price of a pound of knife feathers was about 200 yuan, including about 600 raw hair, which was converted into less than 4 dimes for 1 knife feather, "now a pound is about 280 yuan, an increase of 4 percent over last year."
As of press time, Zhao Xia told reporters that the price of a pound of Daoling has exceeded 300 yuan, and there is an upward trend.
The original hair of the knife that was acquired. Image source: Photo provided by the interviewee Dahe Daily
Zhao Wen, manager of the sports division of Henan Chaoji Trading Group Co., Ltd., believes that the price increase of badminton may also be related to the popularity of badminton.
Zhao Wen said that before the second half of last year, the 1,500 yuan high-end badminton rackets in the store were sold at a 7% discount, and they were not easy to sell, "Now if you don't buy it, it will be out of stock tomorrow."
In recent years, stadiums have sprung up like mushrooms. In the past, there were only a few badminton halls per city, but now there are a few per street. According to Xinhua News Agency, data provided by the Chengdu Badminton Association shows that more than 500,000 people have been engaged in badminton fitness in Chengdu for a long time; There are more than 440 venues (venues) with 4 or more badminton courts.
Source: Daily Economic News, Blue Whale News, Dahe Daily, Yu Video, Yangcheng Pie, Xinhua News Agency Editor: Sanji