As one of China's largest production bases for cotton slippers, Cixi City in Ningbo, Zhejiang Province, has been rapidly integrating and upgrading its Cixi cotton slippers supply chain. According to the Cixi Footwear Association, local output of cotton slippers exceeded 300 million pairs in 2024, accounting for nearly 40% of the national total, with export value up 12% year-on-year. Behind these figures is a collective shift among Cixi cotton slipper manufacturers from traditional OEM to branding and digitalization.
Cixi's cotton slipper industry began in the 1990s with family workshops. Today, it has formed a complete industrial chain from fabric weaving and sole injection to finished product packaging. In towns like Xiaolin and Qiaotou, production of winter warm cotton slippers runs from August to January, with products exported to over 30 countries and regions including Europe, the US, Japan, and South Korea.
In the past, most Cixi cotton slipper enterprises were small and medium-sized, working independently. In recent years, however, with the launch of a digital platform for the Cixi cotton slippers supply chain, more than 200 core local factories have achieved order sharing, raw material centralized procurement, and capacity allocation. For example, an intelligent scheduling system built by a leading local company can compress urgent order response time from 7 days to 48 hours, greatly improving satisfaction for overseas buyers.
On the technical side, Cixi cotton slipper manufacturers have introduced automated cutting machines and computerized embroidery equipment, boosting traditional manual sewing efficiency by more than three times. Meanwhile, functional winter warm cotton slippers with antibacterial, deodorizing, and machine-washable features have become new export favorites, priced 20%-30% higher than ordinary models.
Despite weak global consumer markets, Cixi's cotton slipper exports remain resilient. In the first quarter of 2025, the value of cotton slippers supervised for export by Cixi Customs reached US$120 million, up 8.5% year-on-year. Growth is mainly driven by cross-border e-commerce and emerging markets. However, trade barriers and exchange rate fluctuations are also putting pressure on the Cixi cotton slippers supply chain. In response, the local government and enterprises are jointly building overseas warehouses and promoting eco-friendly materials to maintain competitive advantages.
Looking ahead, Cixi plans to cultivate more than 10 independent international brands within three years and increase the digitalization coverage of Cixi cotton slipper manufacturers to 90%. For overseas buyers, this means a more stable and efficient supply channel for winter warm cotton slippers is taking shape.