Beyond Just One Down Jacket: Understanding Bosideng's Strategy through Its ESG Report

In today's era when all industries are arming themselves with AI, the fashion industry cannot avoid it either.

For the fashion industry, the core battlefield of AI is not only about optimizing inventory and predicting sales volume, but also about how to make algorithms penetrate into the creative R & D hinterland of the fashion industry.

In response, Bosideng, a well - known domestic brand, has given its answer: the "BSD.AI Aesthetic Brain". This vertical large - model jointly developed with Zhejiang University can achieve a full - process digital closed - loop from design concept to virtual ready - to - wear through big - data analysis of consumer needs, marking that fashion R & D is shifting from experience - driven to data - intelligent - driven new approaches.

China is the world's largest producer of textile and clothing, with an annual clothing output of over 70 billion pieces. As one of the four major livelihood industries of "clothing, food, housing and transportation", the transformation needed in the fashion industry goes far beyond AI. In July this year, Bosideng released its 2024/25 ESG report. This report, which has been actively disclosed for the ninth consecutive year, reveals the root cause that supports all of Bosideng's cutting - edge innovations and provides an excellent model for us to deconstruct the in - depth value of the fashion industry.

What constitutes the foundation of a brand that uses AI to depict the future? What kind of clothing will be worth consumers' money in the future? This report may provide the answers.

The Foundation of Raw Materials: System Upgrade for Comfortable Sensations

In the past, consumers' judgment on whether a down jacket was good or not was usually simply attributed to the down content and fluffiness. However, in fact, whether a down jacket is comfortable and warm is not as simple as just looking at a single indicator. It is a systematic revolution in raw material quality, structural innovation, and fabric technology. Bosideng's innovative practices are leading consumers' perception to shift towards the scientific concept of lightness, warmth, efficiency, and comfortable sensations. Behind this concept upgrade is the brand's cost - regardless investment and thinking at the raw material end.

First of all, the selection criteria for down, the soul of a down jacket, are far more complex than just the "quantity". Bosideng's ESG report shows us a clear and traceable chain: 100% of the down purchased by Bosideng globally has passed the international RDS (Responsible Down Standard) certification. This is not only a commitment to animal welfare but also one of the strictest supply - chain traceability systems in the industry, ensuring the pure origin of each batch of down and providing consumers with stable and reliable quality.

Meanwhile, 75% of the down has obtained the OEKO - TEX® certification. This globally authoritative "Confidence in Textiles" label ensures that the certified products are harmless to the human body, which is related to consumers' personal health. 58% of the down has passed the bluesign® certification, which means that Bosideng's production process follows one of the strictest global textile environmental protection standards, with fine - grained control of the use of chemicals, energy, and water resources from the source.

Secondly, since the warmth - retention of a down jacket does not only depend on the down content, how can we make the down perform better than the sum of its parts? Bosideng's answer is scientific zoning. Starting from ergonomics, Bosideng fills down in a precise zoned manner. While ensuring the cold - resistance of key parts, it achieves the lightness of the whole garment and comfortable non - bulky wearing, reaching the best ratio of lightness, warmth, and weight, and providing consumers with lighter, warmer, and more fashionable choices.

This lightweight strategy also needs to be coordinated with top - notch fabric technology.

Bosideng has not only independently developed 6D Quantum Ultra - light Nylon, with a fabric of 1 square meter weighing only about the same as 4 A4 papers, but also jointly developed an environmentally friendly protective fabric with a bio - based content of over 70% with leading suppliers, and won the ISPO Award for fabric trends. At the same time, Bosideng has also deeply cooperated with companies like Gore, which specializes in material technology, to jointly develop and successfully apply a bio - based environmentally friendly fabric, ensuring the leading position of its products in core functions such as waterproofing, windproofing, and breathability.

Only when high - quality down, scientific structural design, and functional fabrics are combined can a complete solution for lightness, warmth, and efficiency be finally formed.

It is worth mentioning that this extreme adherence to raw material quality and innovation is carried out against the background of rising global upstream raw material costs. Choosing to use these raw materials with strict certifications and huge R & D investments without compromise is itself a manifestation of strategic determination, and its ingenuity and value will inevitably be reflected in the final products.

Bosideng's raw material strategy reflects the transformation of the entire fashion industry towards refined procurement and scientific management. It provides consumers with certainty, safety, and professionalism beyond basic functions, which are the real cornerstones of the value of high - quality clothing.

Driven by Technology: New - quality Productivity Weaves the Future

If raw materials are the "foundation" of clothing, then technological innovation is the "soul" that drives its continuous evolution.

At this year's Entrepreneurs' Sun Island Annual Meeting, Gao Dekang, the founder of Bosideng, the Chairman and President of the Bosideng Group, said in his speech that "developing new - quality productivity is the core engine for enterprises to move from being the best in China to being globally leading."

This year's Bosideng ESG report also depicts a practical picture of new - quality productivity for us.

First of all, there is a digital - intelligent neural network that runs through the entire supply chain. Bosideng has independently developed the Garment Intelligent Manufacturing System (GiMS), the Inventory Calculation Center (ICC), and the Order Processing Center (OPC), and has integrated Radio - Frequency Identification (RFID) technology throughout the entire process from production, warehousing to logistics. This system is like a smart brain, which not only makes the process transparent but also brings real green benefits. Through methods such as intelligently matching the optimal logistics route, Bosideng has reduced the average carbon footprint of single - piece express delivery logistics by about 4% throughout the year. Many of its products have obtained the carbon - footprint certification from the China Quality Certification Center (CQC), and have achieved the goal of creating zero - carbon products with their low - carbon attributes.

Bosideng's sustainable concept not only empowers low - carbon emission reduction with a digital - intelligent system but also delves into the thinking and practice of the circular economy.

The environmentally friendly CIRCULAR series of products designed with the concept of "circular fashion" have achieved the ultimate goal of "from garment to garment" (G2G) in the current 3.0 era, starting from the "recyclable and disassemblable" 1.0 version and then to the "bio - based revolution" 2.0 era. The products in this series aim for sustainable circulation from the design, material selection, and process stages, achieving a full - life - cycle circulation of a down jacket from production, use to recycling and reuse. This is not only an embodiment of the environmental protection concept but also an ultimate pursuit of resource utilization efficiency, truly turning sustainable development from a slogan into a viable business model.

All of Bosideng's technology investments will ultimately be solidified into the brand's intangible assets. During the ESG reporting period, Bosideng has accumulated 1498 authorized patents, and its technology and product innovations have won a series of international authoritative awards, including 4 ISPO Global Design Awards, 5 German Red Dot Awards, and the Silver Award at the Geneva Invention Exhibition. These honors prove that Bosideng's technological innovation is not just a concept but a tangible and globally recognized hard - core achievement.

It can be said that Bosideng's investment in technology R & D shows how a leading enterprise uses new - quality productivity to build a technological barrier. What consumers buy is not just a piece of clothing for keeping warm, but a collection of digital networks, circular designs, and patented technologies, and they enjoy the fruits of technological progress.

The Power of the System: Reliability of End - to - End Quality Control

For the fashion industry, the challenge of quality stability also comes from the complex supply chain. A perfect first sample does not mean that the ten - thousandth piece will be equally excellent. How to ensure zero defects in large - scale production?

Bosideng's answer lies in building a systematic project that is strict, comprehensive, and deeply involved in the value chain.

The cornerstone of this systematic project starts with the brand's almost strict self - requirements internally. A down jacket has to go through multiple inspections, including factory self - inspection, follow - up factory - leaving inspection, and final warehousing inspection. It can be said that there are checkpoints at every step to ensure that 100% of the products in each batch go through three - level inspections. Only down jackets that pass strict inspections will be delivered to consumers. At the same time, Bosideng has also set strict standards internally, with a product return and defect rate of less than 0.08% and a high - end product return and defect rate of less than 0.035%, which is the most direct quantitative manifestation of the brand's commitment to consumers.

However, relying solely on internal strictness is not enough. This reliability must be extended to every end of the huge supply chain. Bosideng has independently developed a digital ESG management platform for the supply chain, which marks a leap in the supplier management model: from the original simple relationship between the purchaser and the supplier to a data - driven value community for common growth. Bosideng has achieved 100% review and training coverage for all suppliers and has included ESG indicators in the access assessment of new suppliers. By extending its high standards to the entire value chain, it fundamentally improves the stability and controllability of quality.

At the bottom of this system, there is also a chemical firewall to protect consumers' health and environmental safety. As a member of the Zero Discharge of Hazardous Chemicals (ZDHC) consortium, Bosideng eliminates the input of hazardous chemicals from the source. With the main line of "source control - process management - end - monitoring - continuous improvement", it has built a complete closed - loop from the source to the end, from the inside to the outside, and finally established the goal of achieving zero discharge of hazardous chemicals in the supply chain by 2030. This "clean chemistry" commitment means the most fundamental safety guarantee, and the huge testing and management investment behind it far exceeds consumers' imagination.

True luxury lies in extreme reliability. By building a huge and precise end - to - end quality control system, Bosideng has minimized the contingency of quality.

Employee Protection: Always Putting People First

Bosideng strictly follows international labor rights standards and deeply integrates employee rights protection into its corporate operations. The group has promised to fully comply with the core conventions of the International Labour Organization (ILO) and has obtained the SA8000 Social Responsibility Standard Certification, systematically promoting labor rights protection and corporate social responsibility practices.

To effectively protect employees' legitimate rights and interests, Bosideng has established an employee labor - relations coordination committee, which is specifically responsible for handling daily labor - relations complaints and actively building a harmonious and stable labor - capital environment. The group's trade union organizes the signing of annual collective contracts through democratic mechanisms such as the employees' congress, ensuring that all employees on labor contracts are covered, and submits them to the human resources and social security department for review to effectively safeguard employees' interests with legal force.

In terms of internal governance mechanisms, Bosideng has established a systematic communication platform and complaint channels. All complaints are accepted confidentially, and any form of discrimination or retaliation against complainants is strictly prohibited. After receiving a complaint, the group immediately initiates an investigation process and formulates improvement plans and remedial measures accordingly, including apologies, economic compensation, and system corrections, to effectively respond to various issues that infringe on employees' rights and interests.

Bosideng has constructed a scientific due - diligence process for rights protection based on the PDCA cycle management model, focusing on identifying and managing core labor rights risks such as forced labor, child labor, discrimination, freedom of association, and collective bargaining rights. This process pays special attention to vulnerable groups, including in - house employees, female employees, minors, and third - party employees, ensuring that the due - diligence work is comprehensive and focused.

In addition, the group has integrated internal and external resources to form a special assessment team, which conducts potential labor rights risk investigations at all operational nodes every year to continuously optimize labor policies and management effectiveness and dynamically respond to changes in the social and economic environment.

Through institutionalized compliance construction, transparent complaint mechanisms, and continuous risk assessment, Bosideng continuously strengthens its employee rights protection system, demonstrating the firm determination and practical actions of Chinese enterprises to highlight the "people - oriented" value of the new era and fulfill social responsibilities.

Conclusion

As the "second financial report" of listed companies, ESG reports are gradually becoming a new standard for comprehensively evaluating corporate value.

Previously, Bosideng released a "1 + 3+X" ESG strategic framework and management structure, and established an ESG strategic vision of leading sustainable fashion with a consumer - oriented approach. This year, Bosideng has continued to deepen its practice and proposed "one platform, six issues, and thirteen special projects" as new ESG strategic pillars, fully integrating ESG into corporate strategy and development practice.

All of Bosideng's efforts have also been recognized by authoritative institutions: during the reporting period, Bosideng was once again included in the S&P Global Sustainability Yearbook (China Edition), and its MSCI ESG rating has jumped to AA, making it a leading Chinese brand in ESG performance ranking in the global fashion industry.

In the process of interpreting Bosideng's ESG report, we found that the value of a high - quality down jacket can no longer be simply summarized as "materials + technology". Behind it is a complete value system: based on the raw material philosophy of respecting life and the earth, driven by technological innovation of "new - quality productivity", and guaranteed by a strict end - to - end quality control system.

In today's era of increasing information transparency, understanding an ESG report is actually understanding the intrinsic value of a brand. Consumption is no longer just a simple purchase, but a vote for the future that consumers believe in with every payment. Choosing such products means not only choosing professional cold - protection but also choosing to accompany a brand that is constantly evolving and brave in taking responsibility.