Forum rules
TIP: The online Bushwalk Inventory System can help bushwalkers with a variety of bushwalk planning tasks, including: Manage which items they take bushwalking so that they do not forget anything they might need, plan meals for their walks, and automatically compile food/fuel shopping lists (lists of consumables) required to make and cook the meals for each walk. It is particularly useful for planning for groups who share food or other items, but is also useful for individual walkers.is the price of down going up?
Sat 31 Aug, 2013 4:52 pm
At this summer's Outdoor Retailer show, people couldn't stop talking about bird flu. No, they weren't worried about coming down with the disease it in Salt Lake City, Utah. They were lamenting the dramatic spike it's causing in duck and goose down prices
http://www.outsideonline.com/outdoor-ge ... ocket.html
http://www.outsideonline.com/outdoor-ge ... ocket.html
Re: is the price of down going up?
Sun 01 Sep, 2013 6:13 am
Down pricing has been a major concern for manufacturers for a couple of years now. I just spent the week wandering the country with a representative of Exped doing some training in NZ. They struggle with the pricing every year and it is looking to keep getting harder.
His take on the issue was that along with bird flu issues that have happened the rise of the middle class in China is having a big effect on demand. They are eating fewer ducks with more "western" meat being demanded like beef and as the bulk of the income of a duck farmer comes from the meat declining demand leads to fewer birds being run. A perhaps greater influence is that down duvets are becoming far more popular in China also.
These consumer demand changes drive the down pricing far more than the outdoor industry but we get carried along with them in pricing. Generally we are all about high quality downs but as the price leaps for lower grades more duvet makers etc jump a grade up because the price difference is less than previously. This pushes that loft rating up and more of those jump up a grade leading to a cascade of price rises at all grades of down for all manufacturers.
His take on the issue was that along with bird flu issues that have happened the rise of the middle class in China is having a big effect on demand. They are eating fewer ducks with more "western" meat being demanded like beef and as the bulk of the income of a duck farmer comes from the meat declining demand leads to fewer birds being run. A perhaps greater influence is that down duvets are becoming far more popular in China also.
These consumer demand changes drive the down pricing far more than the outdoor industry but we get carried along with them in pricing. Generally we are all about high quality downs but as the price leaps for lower grades more duvet makers etc jump a grade up because the price difference is less than previously. This pushes that loft rating up and more of those jump up a grade leading to a cascade of price rises at all grades of down for all manufacturers.
Re: is the price of down going up?
Sun 01 Sep, 2013 6:30 am
thanks for that insight Gary...
Re: is the price of down going up?
Sun 01 Sep, 2013 7:18 am
So a case of, if you love and buy down products, you are driving it up. Lets all convince noobs on the benefits of synthetic insulation! 
Re: is the price of down going up?
Wed 23 Oct, 2013 12:24 am
GPSGuided wrote:So a case of, if you love and buy down products, you are driving it up. Lets all convince noobs on the benefits of synthetic insulation!
Or start eating more ducks and geese
© Bushwalk Australia and contributors 2007-2013.