The market data from Zhili Cotton Cloth City for May 28 to June 3 reveals a full-blown off-season effect. Overall transaction volume is modest, but a sharp divergence has emerged among product categories—some fabrics are bucking the trend due to end-user demand, while most conventional varieties are contracting. This pattern indicates that downstream procurement is shifting from broad-based sourcing to targeted replenishment.
Children's Wear Demand Underpins T/C Poplin and Cotton Poplin
The T/C 65/35 series was the standout performer this week. T65/C35 21x21 108x58 63" yarn-dyed poplin saw rising sales driven by concentrated purchases from local children's wear enterprises, making it one of the few active product lines during the off-season. Meanwhile, T65/JC35 60/2x30 158x76 63" vertical micro-rib fabric attracted buyers from various regions, primarily for pants and school uniforms, with most transactions being sample orders rather than spot deals. Cotton poplin also moved well due to demand for shirt fabrics, suggesting that summer garment orders are still being executed on schedule.
Notably, inventories of T/C 80/20 and 90/10 blends remain high, indicating declining market acceptance of low-cotton-content products. This reflects rising requirements from brands for higher cotton content and breathability—low-cotton blends are losing their selling points and are being gradually sidelined by buyers.
Corduroy and Bedding Fabrics Weaken; Rayon Shows Volume-Price Divergence
In contrast to the heat in children's wear fabrics, corduroy performed poorly. Only 21-wale cotton corduroy saw minimal sales, while other specifications were largely ignored. This is partly seasonal—summer is not corduroy's peak period—but the degree of weakness exceeded expectations, suggesting slow inventory digestion downstream.
Bedding fabrics were generally sluggish, except for T/C CVC 65/35 40x40 100x80 104" wide-width fabric, which continued to sell for duvet covers and pillowcases. This indicates structural adjustments in the home textile sector: conventional narrow-width products are losing demand, while wide-width, high-count, high-density items still have order support. Cotton flannel sales continued to decline, with prices stabilizing amid adjustments, reflecting that autumn/winter stockpiling has not yet begun and intermediaries are adopting a wait-and-see approach.
Rayon fabric volumes were decent, but actual transaction prices softened, with buyers gaining bargaining power. This signals that even for moving products, suppliers find it difficult to maintain price floors during the off-season—a volume-price divergence that directly indicates weak market confidence.
Anti-Static and Casual Fabrics: Stable Demand, Limited Upside
Anti-static fabrics saw modest trading volumes with stable prices. Anti-static fine twill (32/2x32/2 100x53 63") remained relatively active, favored by workwear manufacturers. This category benefits from inelastic demand, unaffected by seasonal swings, making it one of the few stable supports during the off-season. The industry expects anti-static fabric sales to remain subdued next week, with prices likely holding steady.
Casual fabrics overall had low volumes but stable prices. C 10x10 70x42 47" heavy canvas remained the sales leader, coarse yarn-dyed poplin continued to sell well for schoolbags, and cotton mini-check fabrics maintained their popularity. The resilience of casual fabrics lies in their diversified applications—from luggage to workwear to fashion pants—where overlapping demand from various segments creates a buffer. Next week, casual fabrics are expected to undergo steady adjustments.
Outlook: Total Volume Unlikely to Expand; Price Adjustment Pressure Persists
Synthesizing the performance of all categories this week, Zhili Cotton Cloth City has entered a typical "off-season divergence" phase. Overall sales are unlikely to expand significantly, but structural opportunities remain: school uniform orders, workwear procurement, and wide-width home textile fabrics are the only demand pillars. For fabric suppliers, this means aligning more precisely with end-user procurement rhythms rather than relying on a broad market upturn.
On the pricing front, most categories have entered an adjustment channel. Rayon and cotton flannel are showing increasing room for concessions, while T/C poplin and anti-static fabrics are holding firm due to inelastic demand. Over the next two weeks, the market is expected to continue a trend of "volume contraction with price adjustments" until autumn/winter stockpiling begins in July.