In Keqiao's China Textile City, a quiet brand upgrade is unfolding in the Dongsheng Road outdoor fabric zone. Local merchant Haoli Textile, leveraging over a decade of supply chain experience from sister brand Qiting, has adopted a dual-brand independent operation, extending product lines from basic school uniform fabrics to high-end business menswear priced above 100 RMB. This path diverges sharply from the mass fabric market, epitomizing Keqiao's shift from scale competition to value competition.
Background: Birth and Positioning of the Dual Brands
Qiting started operations in 2013 and was formally registered in 2014, initially setting up a storefront in the East Market, focusing on basic school uniform fabrics. Solid quality control accumulated a stable customer base and mature supply chain. However, in 2018, intensifying competition squeezed profit margins in conventional fabrics, prompting a strategic transformation: on one hand, developing functional outdoor fabrics; on the other, establishing Haoli Textile to target the high-end business menswear market, forming a dual-brand synergy.
This layout was strategically placed in Dongsheng Road. Qiting became one of the first tenants in Phase I of the Dongsheng Road outdoor functional fabric zone. As the high-end fabric business matured, Haoli opened an independent storefront in Phase II. Each brand targets distinct customer segments. General manager Li Xiongzhen noted that Dongsheng Road gathers many quality brands, e-commerce sellers, and fashion designers who demand finer fabrics, leading to better order conversion—an ideal platform for high-end business.
Industry Impact: Plant Dyeing and Digitalization Build Moat
From inception, Haoli targeted high-end business menswear and light luxury fashion, adhering to a natural and eco-friendly positioning. The entire line uses pure natural fibers such as wool, silk, and lyocell, with colors derived from plant extraction rather than traditional chemical dyeing, highlighting green attributes. Premium materials and special processes dictate pricing: fabric unit prices range from 100 to 600 RMB, precisely avoiding low-end price wars.
On the supply chain side, Haoli shares a 15,000-square-meter warehouse, operating both spot goods and custom orders. Spot inventory quickly handles small urgent orders, while custom order cycles span 3-10 days, with fastest shipping possible within one hour. This rapid response capability means lower trial costs and more flexible production scheduling for high-end clients.
Digitalization is another key variable. Haoli participated in the AI Fabric mini-program's digital fabric construction, digitizing core fabrics like waffle, health knit, double jersey, mesh, air layer, and pique. The system's one-click matching for similar fabrics greatly improves service efficiency. Previously, designers carrying sample swatches faced slow manual comparisons; remote communication with overseas clients was time-consuming. Now the system quickly retrieves matches, saving labor and improving accuracy. For demanding high-end clients, this has become an essential tool.
Notably, the AI Fabric Experience Hall in Dongsheng Road is about to open, featuring smart body measurement, 3D virtual try-on, fabric visualization, and garment simulation. This integrates online-offline displays of physical fabrics and virtual samples, signaling a shift from traditional physical sample rooms to immersive digital experiences, offering designers and brands a more intuitive material selection method.
Practical Recommendations
For Buyers - Focus on suppliers with dual-brand synergy: such enterprises typically offer more stable supply chains and flexible lead times, meeting both outdoor functional and high-end menswear needs. - Leverage digital tools for rapid fabric matching: prioritize suppliers that have embraced digitalization to shorten sampling cycles and reduce communication costs. - Verify eco-certifications: for plant-dyed or natural process fabrics, request relevant test reports to ensure compliance with export or brand environmental standards.
For Factories - Differentiation is an effective path to avoid price wars: transitioning from conventional to functional or high-end niche markets requires assessing supply chain capabilities and customer structure. - Digital investment is a long-term competitive edge: fabric digitization and AI matching tools not only boost service efficiency but also accumulate customer data, enhancing repeat purchases. - Dual-brand operations need clear segmentation: avoid internal competition by ensuring each brand has distinct target customers and product positioning to achieve synergy.
From school uniforms to light luxury menswear, this leap by Keqiao merchants reflects the broader trend toward high-end, refined upgrades across the industrial belt. When price wars become the norm, those daring to reconstruct product logic and embrace digital tools may be opening new growth channels for the industry.