Download
Livestream e-commerce boosts sales of Xinjiang cotton products
By Feng Yilei, Ma Guangyuan
03:00

China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region is enjoying a bumper harvest season for cotton. The northwestern region expects an output of some 5.2 million tonnes this year. Meanwhile, textile companies in Xinjiang are rushing to fill orders. Given the rising cotton prices and U.S. sanctions, the industry caught between a rock and a hard place is seeking out ways to grow.

In Changji, one of Xinjiang's major cotton-producing regions, a textile manufacturer who prefers not to be named, has reaped an early surge in sales of their cotton bedding thanks to livestreaming. Zhou Wenjing, one of the company's online sales specialists now works as a hired livestreamer, said the number of orders placed on all their livestream platforms is about 500 to 700 per day, as demand for cotton quilts usher along with the sudden drop in temperatures in many parts of China.

Zhou said that the account she uses now has gained more than 10,000 followers since April when sanctions were imposed on Xinjiang cotton.

"Customers from all over the country have come to buy our quilts. Their support for Xinjiang cotton is mainly patriotic. Some say they don't need a quilt but still buy one to support us," Zhou said.

Read more: Quick facts about Xinjiang's cotton industry

The company's livestreamer team goes to almost every part of the factory, so that the whole process of quilt-making is in plain sight for consumers to see. As one of the team members, Bao Haiyong elaborated that many audiences have concerns about the quality of the cotton, then he would show them the raw materials.

"Customers will feel it's worthwhile to buy an authentic Xinjiang cotton quilt. And as they place an order, we also have a great sense of achievement – to support my income and sell Xinjiang cotton all over the country," Zhou said.

Zhou also pointed out that through livestreaming, a wider audience can learn about the real lives of ethnic minority workers in Xinjiang's textile factories – which are often alleged of using forced labor. Now he can explain to the audience vividly that a gorgeous hand-made cotton quilt used to have high labor costs, but with new machines, they only need very few people on the assembly line. 

Facts speak louder than words, Zhou believes.

Read more: A look inside the Xinjiang cotton yarn maker accused of 'forced labor'

Mavira Hessen, who has gone from being a junior employee to a team leader at the workshop is a frequent guest in the live stream video. "Now my monthly salary can reach over 7,000 yuan ($1,019), I am quite satisfied with that. I feel working at a textile factory is not bad – whether it's the working environment, living conditions, or this position, which I'm capable of," he said.

Zhou Jianhua, general manager of the company, said both sales volume and production volume of the company have continued to double annually since 2018. Their sales volume hit an all-time high of 27 million yuan, with livestreaming sales accounting for 20 percent of the total.

"None of us expected our sales in April would be three times higher than that of the same month in previous years. Products made of Xinjiang cotton are far from enough for the Chinese domestic market. By the end of this August, our sales volume had already surpassed all of last year," he specified.

Along with the growing sales, the manager said the amount of salary and welfare benefits are also increasing. It's getting even easier to expand the market as livestreaming brings not just new clients but also an industry reputation that keeps loyal customers coming back, he added.

Search Trends