While most fabric merchants in Keqiao are still fighting price wars in conventional fabrics, a differentiation experiment in the Dong Sheng Road zone has quietly proven itself: a brand that started with school uniform fabrics has pushed its unit prices to 600 RMB and compressed sampling cycles to hours using digital tools. This is not just a brand story but a microcosm of how traditional fabric clusters are migrating toward high-end, precision-oriented production.
Background
The protagonists are Qiting and Haoli Textile. Qiting started operations in 2013 and was formally registered in 2014, opening its first store in the East Market, focusing on basic school uniform fabrics and building a stable customer base through quality control. In 2018, as margins in conventional fabrics were squeezed by intensifying competition, the brand decided to split into two tracks: one focused on functional outdoor fabrics, and the other created Haoli Textile to target premium business menswear fabrics, forming a dual-brand independent operation. Today, Qiting operates in Phase I of the Dong Sheng Road outdoor functional fabric zone, while Haoli has an independent booth in Phase II, each serving distinct customer segments.
The turning point of 2018 is noteworthy. That year, conventional fabric categories in Keqiao generally faced pressure, and relying solely on volume and low prices was no longer sustainable. Qiting's choice was not to double down on its old business but to proactively segment its customers: outdoor functional fabrics for sports and commuting scenarios, and premium menswear fabrics for designer brands and light luxury fashion. This kind of category differentiation based on supply chain capability offers more resilience than simple product upgrades—it allows the same production system to serve two very different price tiers.
Industry Impact
Haoli's product logic is clear: it uses natural fibers such as wool, silk, and Lyocell, and colors are achieved through plant extraction, completely abandoning traditional chemical dyeing. This strategy directly raises pricing—fabric prices range from 100 to 600 RMB, significantly higher than the average level in the Dong Sheng Road mass fabric market. For buyers, this means the fabric itself carries an environmental story that can support the premium pricing of finished garments; for factories, the profit thickness of high-priced orders can cover the costs of small-batch, multi-variety production.
More critical is the supply chain responsiveness. Haoli shares Qiting's 15,000-square-meter warehouse and operates a dual-track model of stock and custom orders: stock inventory can quickly handle small urgent orders, while custom order cycles are controlled within 3-10 days, with the fastest shipment in one hour. This speed is uncommon in the high-end fabric segment, where longer sampling cycles are typical. Haoli's confidence comes from its integrated factory and complete inventory system—it has replicated the "quick response" model from fast fashion to high-end fabrics, which is a tangible efficiency boost for designers and brand buyers who rely on sample development.
Digitalization is the other pillar of this experiment. Haoli participated in the digital fabric construction of the AI Bu mini-program, entering core fabrics such as waffle, health knit, double-sided plain knit, mesh, air layer, and pique into the system. Previously, designers had to manually search for similar fabrics with sample swatches, which was time-consuming and inefficient; now the system can match identical or similar fabrics with one click, making remote communication with overseas clients more efficient. The AI Bu experience center in Dong Sheng Road is about to enter trial operation, equipped with smart body measurement, 3D virtual fitting, fabric visual creation, and garment simulation, which is expected to further shorten the fabric-to-garment validation chain.
Dual-brand synergy also extends to supply chain sharing. The outdoor fabric production line is equipped with Italian imported raising machines for fleece fabrics, enhancing capacity and improving overall negotiation power and production speed; the export channel targets European and American markets, with all exported fabrics meeting EU standard fluorine-free environmental requirements. Among domestic clients, Qiaodun has been a partner for 8-10 years, along with brands like Xiaobeibei, Yingqi, Macedonia, and Xiaozhubanna, providing a customer base that helps Haoli enter high-end menswear channels. According to the brand, after two years of strategic transformation, overall performance improved significantly last year, and this year's order growth remains positive.