The myth of rising shuttlecock prices has been shattered

Price cuts and a cooling market

After three years of a feverish run-up, China’s shuttlecock market is suddenly cooling. It has been reported that multiple mainstream brands have announced price cuts of roughly 10–20% since the 2026 Lunar New Year; VICTOR (威克多) led the move by trimming recommended retail prices for its Golden No.3 and No.5 feather shuttles, and other makers quickly followed. Consumers have noticed too — it has been reported that popular carbon and synthetic models that sold for the mid-90s per tube last year are now in the low-80s. Was the boom real — or just a supply-side bubble amplified by panic buying? The answer looks increasingly like the latter.

Why prices reversed

Industry participants point to four overlapping forces: raw-material costs, inventory cycles, market demand normalization after the pandemic surge, and faster adoption of synthetic alternatives. It has been reported that the core raw material — the “knife feather” slices from goose and duck wings (刀翎毛片) — hit an October 2025 peak of roughly 350–450 yuan per jin before falling back to about 280–350 yuan per jin by March 2026, with premium pieces easing toward 0.8 yuan per slice. Producers and traders in Zhejiang’s Jiangshan and other hubs say higher feather prices had stimulated breeding and restocking, and the lagged recovery of supply plus bloated inventories forced manufacturers to cut list prices to clear stock.

New product mix and industry response

The downward price pressure has been compounded by the surge in durable nylon and carbon-based shuttles. Li Ning (李宁) and other firms rolled out synthetic models in 2025; it has been reported that manufacturers and retailers now see these as cost‑effective alternatives because they last far longer than natural-feather balls. Even food and packaging firms are eyeing the sector — Yike Foods (益客食品) has reportedly started producing shuttlecock components — and local factories such as Jiangshan Sanxin (江山三鑫) say the business feels healthier with more realistic supply-demand signals. Traders caution that prices may wobble around current levels, but a full return to the pre‑surge low seems unlikely given the changed economics of poultry farming and sustained interest in badminton at schools and amateur venues.