The epidemic has brought both challenges and new ideas for development to home textile enterprises in Nantong International Home Textile Industrial Park. Selling goods via livestream directly from the park has become a new and successful trend. [Photo/WeChat account: jstzrb]

The Nantong International Home Textile Industrial Park, composed of Haimen Dearshiqiao and Tongzhou Zhihao home textile markets, is one of the three largest home textile centers in the world. Covering 25,000 square kilometers, the park has more than 10,000 business merchants.

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, many enterprises in the park suffered from product backlog and poor markets in the first half year of 2020. However, in the second half year, the enterprises seized development opportunities and fought back.

Jiangsu Rovilanp Down Technology Co Ltd is a down bedding manufacturer with a history of over 30 years. In its shop in the Micro Market of the park, packaging boxes of different sizes are piled up.

"We are as busy as a bee these days," said Ji Hongxiang, a manager of Rovilanp, as he packaged products in the shop. "Almost everyone has supported our factory, and now the shop is nearly empty."

However, it was totally different half a year ago. "Business was bleak due to oversupply in the first half year," Ji added. "In the second half year, we grabbed the seasonal advantage and launched several down products, such as this white goose quilt which we have sold more than 40,000 copies of since June."

In November, the sales volume of Rovilanp reached 30 million yuan ($4.6 million).

The epidemic has brought both challenges and new ideas for development to home textile enterprises. Selling goods via livestream right from the park has become a new trend for them.

"We have livestream in the exhibition hall every week and it can be turned into a live studio directly," explained Zhou Rongfei, sales manager of Lisheng Home Textile in Tongzhou district.

Lisheng is engaged in the research and development, and production of quilts. Its clients mainly come from online platforms. Amid the epidemic, selling goods via livestream brought growth in sales to the company.

So far, its sales volume has increased by 40 percent over the previous year, 30 percent of which comes from livestream.

"Selling goods via livestream has higher requirements on the supply chain. Handling a large number of orders in a short time requires considerable arrangements for production, delivery, after-sales and other tasks, which poses new challenges for us," Zhou added.