In 2026, Haining Leather City has taken more aggressive steps toward integrating domestic and international trade than most of its peers. From its first exhibition in Russia in February to its London appearance in July, the market completed six overseas expansion actions within six months, establishing overseas warehouses in Brazil, South Korea, and Egypt. Simultaneously, it launched the construction of 'four comprehensive complexes' internally, aiming to transform from a pure wholesale hub into a fashion complex covering foreign trade services, full-category apparel, and vertical industrial chain integration.
Overseas Logic: Systematic Move from 'Sitting Merchant' to 'Traveling Merchant'
Haining's overseas expansion is not a series of isolated exhibitions but a systematic push under the '1513' strategy. The core is to set up a hub in Urumqi targeting Central Asia, while establishing overseas showrooms in Russia, the UAE, South Korea, Egypt, and Brazil, and warehouses in countries with populations over 100 million. The Xinjiang Haining Leather City, signed in March, is scheduled to open in September, leveraging Urumqi's 'five ports connecting eight countries' location to export Haining's fur, fur-lined garments, and down jackets to Central Asia and beyond.
This layout means Haining no longer waits for buyers to come; instead, it pre-positions display and warehousing in target markets. For small and micro enterprises, the '1039 market procurement trade' model and the 'Chaolai' service platform provide one-stop services from filing to customs clearance and settlement, significantly lowering the entry barrier. At the February Russia exhibition, some companies secured on-site orders, and subsequent inquiries have continued, indicating that this 'group export' model has been validated by demand.
Market Transformation: Deep Change from 'Landlord' to 'Service Provider'
Parallel to external expansion is an internal role reshaping. In April, the leather city officially released the 'four comprehensive complexes' construction plan, covering foreign trade services, tourism-shopping-entertainment, full-category apparel, and vertical industrial chain integration. This means the market no longer relies solely on stall rents but aims to generate revenue by providing foreign trade services and introducing new formats like new energy vehicle showrooms, trendy tea shops, and leather craft stores, transforming into a lifestyle space.
The renovation of Building A, the upgrade of the DFUR luxury center, and the development of the 'Haining·IN Lane' waterfront district and Waterfront Art Center indicate a shift toward integrating 'product consumption' with 'experience consumption.' For buyers, this means more than just selecting samples and placing orders; they will enjoy comprehensive supporting services. For merchants, the market's role change may also alter cost structures—rent may no longer be the only cost, with service fees or commission models potentially becoming the new normal.
Industry Impact: A Benchmark for Specialized Market Upgrades
Haining's 'internal repair and external expansion' model offers a replicable reference for other textile specialized markets in China. Traditional markets commonly face challenges such as e-commerce impact, declining buyer numbers, and falling rents. Haining's approach is to expand incremental markets through overseas deployment while enhancing existing value through internal format upgrades.
The success of this model depends on two key factors: the operational efficiency of overseas warehouses and showrooms in truly reducing cross-border logistics and communication costs, and the ability to balance the interests of 'service provider' and 'landlord' roles without squeezing merchant profits due to increased service costs. Based on publicly available data, Haining has received initial positive feedback from overseas markets, but long-term results remain to be seen.