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Source: CCTV.com

Original title: Is this ball almost priced out? Why has the price of badminton skyrocketed?

"I can't afford to play badminton with a monthly salary of 20,000 yuan." In July, several major badminton brands raised their prices, with an average increase of more than 20%, and some models increased by 60%. For a time, the news that badminton enthusiasts "can't afford to play" became a hot search.

Badminton is one of the most popular sports in China.Statistics show that there are about 20 million regular badminton players and about 150 million ordinary enthusiasts in China. In 2023, the total production and sales of badminton in China will reach 7.9745 billion yuan.

In this regard, the reporter visited the Beijing market and contacted badminton industry chain participants in Zhejiang, Henan, Anhui and other places to analyze the price increase of badminton. While players are suffering from the price increase, they are also looking for solutions.

"Balls are more expensive than before, so play sparingly"

"It has indeed increased, and it has increased quite a lot." In the evening, at a badminton hall in southern Beijing, the hall manager was stringing the rackets. Of the more than 20 courts in the hall, 70% to 80% were already in use, with both summer children's training classes and adult practice games. Like many badminton halls in Beijing, in addition to renting out venues and providing training, this place also sells badminton, rackets, uniforms, shoes and other equipment, and provides stringing and other services. The badminton sold here is the best-selling one, with Yonex and Asian Lions for more than 100 yuan per bucket (12 pieces per bucket).

Most of the players in the stadium play doubles, with 6 to 8 people on each court, taking turns. The reporter asked about the consumption of balls, which was slightly different. Some courts needed a bucket of balls a night, while others only needed half a bucket. Another lady said, "Three balls are enough for a night. The balls are more expensive than before, so I play sparingly." The Asian Lion D5 badminton she used is now sold on the online platform for about 160 yuan per bucket.

At Decathlon, a comprehensive sports supermarket, the reporter saw six natural badmintons for sale in the badminton area. A mother was helping her child choose badminton equipment. "I usually play by myself, using this goose feather ball for 89.9 yuan, which is pretty good." Among natural badmintons, goose feather balls have a better feel, are more durable, and are more expensive than duck feather balls. The cheapest goose feather balls at Decathlon are 89.9 yuan per barrel and are marked as training grade. The most expensive goose feather balls here are 199.9 yuan per barrel, marked as international competition grade, and have passed the official certification of the International Badminton Federation. Decathlon's cheapest entry-level duck feather balls, 69.9 yuan per barrel, are the best-selling, and there are only a few barrels left on the shelf.

The salesperson told the reporter that the badminton in the store also experienced a price increase in July.Except for the most expensive goose feather balls at 199.9 yuan per bucket, the other five types have increased in price by 20 yuan each.

In the badminton market, Decathlon has a low market share, and the market is basically occupied by brands such as Yonex, ASLO, Victor, and Li Ning.

“Only large manufacturers can guarantee a stable supply of goods”

"The club has always used Yonex AS05 balls for activities. Due to the unstable original supply and lack of stock, after testing and comparison, we chose Asia Lion RSL3 as the spare ball for activities." At the end of June, when Avi announced the club's activities, he had already felt the fluctuations in the badminton market.

Avi, who has been playing badminton for more than 30 years, is the manager of a long-established amateur badminton club in Beijing. The club has many activities and consumes a lot of balls. Avi is often anxious about the supply of balls."Since the beginning of this year, we have often been unable to get goods. After entering July, the price of balls has risen sharply."In the amateur circle, AS05 is a top-level training ball. At the beginning of the year, the selling price was 118 to 125 yuan per barrel. In July, the price rose to 160 to 165 yuan per barrel, and it was out of stock.

In addition to managing the club, Avi was also the owner of a badminton store. "At that time, there was a warehouse, so I could store more balls for both sales and the club." But over time, Avi found thatUnstable supply and price increases of badminton are a normal phenomenon.

"I thought about finding a factory to customize it myself." Avi found a factory in Nanjing. "The factory is not small and they also do OEM. After negotiating with us, they gave us a fair price."

With the custom ball, Avi thought he could rest easy.As the feather feather market fluctuated, the quality of the badminton that the custom factory provided to Avi also fluctuated."Affected by the supply, the factory's quality control began to fail."

Looking back, this happened about 20 years ago. Later, Avi cooperated with Kaisheng, which wanted to expand into the Beijing market, and supported the club's balls for a period of time. "Kaisheng will also be affected by the supply of goods.In this industry, only a few large manufacturers can guarantee a stable supply of feathers and down.”

After this "ball search", the club finally settled on the Yonex AS05, which has stable supply and quality control."When I first bought this product, it was more than 70 yuan per barrel. Over the years since then, the price has increased by about 5 yuan each time."I didn't expect the price increase in July to be so drastic.

"Big brands have high premiums, and small factories can't afford it"

"The price of feathers has gone up, and we can't do anything about it." The director of a small badminton factory in Zhejiang told reporters that they are under great pressure. "Now there are many people playing badminton, but the supply of feathers is tight. The price supplied by the processing plants to large factories is high, and our small factory can't compete. For example, the original price was 3.5 cents per piece, but now it is 7 cents per piece." According to him,The factory used to sell goose feather balls for 60 yuan per barrel, but now the price has risen to 80 yuan.The actual use effect can reach the level of big-brand balls priced at 110 yuan per barrel.

Such factories are concentrated in Jiangsu and Zhejiang. The director of another small factory said helplessly: "We can't get good feather pieces now, so we can only produce entertainment balls. Children can play with them or play outdoors, but they can't be used in stadiums." He said that heThe original annual cost of purchasing feather pieces was 10 million, but now it has risen to more than 20 million.He joked: "If you can't afford it, don't fight. If no one fights, the price will naturally go down.Big brands charge a high premium and can buy feathers at a high price, and then sell a bucket for 90 yuan. Our small factory can only sell for 60 yuan, which is definitely not affordable.”

Huangchuan County, Henan Province is an important gathering place for the feather industry. A salesperson from a feather processing factory there told reporters,NowThe feathers used to make badminton are in short supply. "It's hard to collect them. Let's wait and see."

Liu Yaming, who has been working in the badminton industry for more than 30 years, said that currently the feathers used in badminton are mainly duck feathers and goose feathers, and only naturally grown duck feathers can be used to make badminton. "The current low pork prices in my country have led to changes in eating habits, resulting in fewer people eating duck meat, which indirectly led to a decrease in the number of ducks in stock, and then to a shortage of feathers."

At the same time, a badminton is made up of 16 feathers, and a goose has only about 20 large feathers available.Lu'an City in Anhui Province and Jinping County in Guizhou Province are both important white goose producing areas in China. They are also the source of the feather industry. Goose down is supplied to down jacket manufacturers, and goose feather flakes are supplied to badminton manufacturers.

At a badminton factory in Ma'anshan City, Anhui Province, after the manufacturer buys back the feathers, it takes about 25 days to process them into badminton.

A feather company in Lu'an told reporters,They don't export feathers anymore, they make their own balls。Big-name badminton factories are even built directly at the source. Yonex cooperated with Lu'an enterprises to set up factories. In Lu'an and Jinping, Asia Lion built a one-stop production line from raw wool to badminton. Local media in Guizhou reported that one out of every 10 badmintons in the world comes from Jinping.

"I can't afford it with a monthly salary of 20,000 yuan, it's exaggerated"

A senior player said: "Badminton, especially when you reach a certain level, is not a popular sport." Rackets and shoes that cost thousands of yuan, and courts that cost about 100 yuan per hour, all make players feel that the expenses are not small. Rackets and shoes have a long lifespan, and courts can get discounts by joining clubs. The sharp price increase of badminton is more likely to hurt players.

Even so, several golfers interviewed by the reporter still felt"With a monthly salary of 20,000, you can't afford to play badminton" is an exaggeration.

Avi told reporters that each club activity lasts three hours and the average consumption of each member is around 100 yuan.Assuming you play ball three times a week, your monthly expenses would be 1,200 yuan.

A Yuan, who has played for more than ten years, told the reporter that for each activity, the venue fee is about 160 yuan (2 hours), and a bucket of balls is 110 yuan, a total of 270 yuan. "These expenses are shared by 6 people, doubles, taking turns." SoEach person spends about 50 yuan each time.

A Yuan said: "I can understand the desire of golfers to resist the price increase of manufacturers, but if you really can't afford it, that's not the case. To be honest, any equipment is for fun."

Sister Yan has been playing for more than 20 years. "I used all kinds of equipment before, but now people's income has increased and they are willing to invest in equipment." She said that if you are a beginner or a recreational player, you can use cheap balls and play in free courts.It's up to you to decide,Right."

In addition to playing badminton, Ayuan also rides a road bike and goes skiing. Logically, these sports are expensive, but he always believes that equipment is not a reason to limit his passion.

“I find that news about people ‘not being able to play’ a certain sport tends to appear every once in a while.Cycling, skiing, and outdoor sports are all considered unaffordable. But I don’t think it’s that exaggerated.It might have discouraged those who wanted to join in the fun.Road bikes are said to cost tens of thousands or even hundreds of thousands of yuan. You have to buy a Trek or a Plum. It seems that you are in the circle after buying one. But if we buy a domestically produced Xidesheng with full configuration, 20,000 yuan is the maximum. An older brother who plays with us rides a thousand-yuan mountain bike that his son discarded. He rides 60 to 70 kilometers with us every week. He is so happy.

Editor: Chen Lixiang

Proofreading: Yang Shuxin