When the market demand is in the doldrums, blankets, as a daily consumer product, show a strong rigid demand. According to customs statistics, China exported 382 million blankets from January to October, up 2.6% year-on-year, generating 2.05 billion U.S. dollars in foreign exchange, up 11.3% year-on-year, which is the only product in the 11 categories of woolen textile exports that can keep the volume of products at the same time as the price. The fact that China’s blanket industry can maintain a better development trend in difficult times also reflects that China’s blanket industry has certain advantages in raw materials and equipment as well as technical level.

Since the second half of last year, the international economic situation has continued to be in the doldrums, market demand is insufficient, the growth rate of woolen textile exports has gradually slowed down, and in the second half of this year, the cumulative export value has seen negative growth. According to customs statistics, the cumulative export of woolen textile products from January to October totaled 10.3 billion U.S. dollars, a year-on-year decline of 3.2%, and the export volume fell even more year-on-year. Under this situation, the export of woolen blankets increased by 2.6% year-on-year, and the export earnings increased by 11.3% year-on-year. From the perspective of major export countries and regions, the market share of export to the U.S. was 30%, a year-on-year increase of 3.13%; the market share of the EU-27 was 23%, a year-on-year decrease of 9%; the proportion of the Japanese market was 7%, a year-on-year increase of 9%; and the proportion of the UAE market was 4%, a year-on-year decrease of 15%. Overall there were both increases and decreases, both good and bad.

In new product development of blankets, it is necessary not only to reduce cost, increase efficiency, improve quality, create differentiation, cater to market segments-improve the value of the existing value chain through technological innovation, but also to apply new concepts, combine existing resources, create people’s desire to buy, open up the market, establish a new value chain, and create new value. Modern products convey two kinds of information to people: rational information including product function, material, process, etc., and perceptual information including product shape, color, beauty, and usage. In the new product development of blankets, the knowledge of perceptual engineering should also be applied to the psychological needs of consumers, and the feelings or imagery generated by consumers for the products should be transformed into design elements.