Cold weather conditions drive demand for home textiles

As many places in China have seen cliff-like temperature drops since October, consumers have increased their demand for keeping warm, prompting the sales boom of home textile products.

At a home textile mall in eastern Chinese city of Nantong, China's largest home textile production base, flannel and brushed fabrics dominate shopfronts. Retailers said products with extra functions, such as thermal and antibacterial bedding, have seen strong growth.

"In terms of the overall autumn and winter sales, products with additional functions, such as extra-warm and antibacterial items, are sold better than the previous year. The overall sales are about 30 to 40 percent more than a year earlier," said Wang Yongshi, chairman of a local textile technology company.

Hu Mingliang, who has worked in the industry for nearly 30 years, said raw material costs have diverged sharply. Down prices have risen about 20 percent year on year, while long-staple cotton has fallen roughly 15 percent from the previous year.

In response, Hu's company promptly adjusted their business strategies, which helped maintain significant gains in online sales.

"We started tie-in sales, pairing down quilts with four-piece bedding sets and selling them together. For long-staple cotton products, prices have fallen this year. We kept retail prices of [long-staple-cotton products] unchanged, but improve their quality. Overall, offline sales grew slightly, by about 3 to 5 percent, while livestreaming sales rose much faster, increasing by roughly 30 percent to 50 percent," said Hu, chairman of a local textile firm.

The upstream workshops in Nantong reported brisk operation, with workers rushing to finish domestic orders and overseas winter shipments largely completed.

"By the end of January, we will deliver about 150,000 sets, 80 percent of them for export and 20 percent for domestic buyers. Our factory can produce a full range of products, though quilts remain our main focus," said Zhao Yan, chairman of a local manufacturer.

According to data from the international home textile industrial park in Nantong, the city can produce more than 1.2 billion home textile pieces a year, with average output reaching 1,350 sets, 670 quilts and 340 pillows per minute.

Cold weather conditions drive demand for home textiles

Israeli forces have launched fresh strikes across multiple areas of the Gaza Strip, with local sources reporting civilian casualties and a further worsening of the humanitarian crisis.

According to Gaza's Civil Defense, the Israeli artillery strike on Friday evening in the Tuffah neighborhood east of Gaza City has killed five local residents, including children. The strike brought the number of Palestinians killed since the October ceasefire to around 400.

"A classroom at the displacement site, where five families were sheltering, was targeted. I was inside when the walls collapsed on us during the strike. I was trapped under the rubble along with my grandson, who was injured. After the bombing, I tried to get up and managed to get out of the place. There were many dead and body parts everywhere," recalled Ismail Al-Barsh, an eyewitness of the attack.

Abu Hamza Affana, an ambulance director who took part in the rescue operation, said Israeli forces repeatedly obstructed emergency efforts.

"When ambulance crews first responded to the distress call, the Israeli army opened fire, forcing us to withdraw due to the continued shooting and shelling of the school. After we were later allowed to proceed, we reached the site and dealt with the casualties," he said.

The Israeli military said the incident is under investigation.

The attacks came as displaced families grapple with severe weather and growing shortages of shelter and basic supplies, further exacerbating the humanitarian crisis.

Local sources said that as a powerful storm swept through the region recently, at least 13 Palestinian children died due to shortages of essential supplies and medical services.

Gaza humanitarian crisis worsens as Israeli strikes continue