In Keqiao's China Textile City, price competition in the mass fabric market has reached a boiling point, yet one merchant in the Dongsheng Road outdoor fabric district—Haoli Textile—maintains fabric prices between 100 and 600 yuan per unit, with no slowdown in order growth. This is not an isolated case; it reflects the decade-long premium evolution of the Qiting brand, which started with school uniform fabrics. While most merchants still compete on weight and per-meter price, Haoli has carved a distinct path with natural fibers and plant dyeing, offering a tangible reference for Keqiao fabric traders seeking new directions.
From School Uniforms to Light Luxury: A Deliberate Track Switch
Qiting began operations in 2013 and was officially registered in 2014, initially setting up a storefront in the East Market, focusing on basic school uniform fabrics. Through solid quality control, it accumulated a stable customer base and mature supply chain. In 2018, as profits on conventional fabrics came under pressure, the brand initiated a strategic transformation: on one hand, it entered functional outdoor fabrics; on the other, it founded Haoli Textile to target high-end business menswear, establishing a dual-brand independent operation. This timing was not accidental—domestic consumption upgrading was becoming clear, and demand for differentiated fabrics in high-end menswear was rising, while Keqiao's market remained dominated by mass products, leaving a supply gap.
Haoli's differentiation strategy spans three dimensions: raw materials—using pure natural fibers such as wool, silk, and Lyocell; craftsmanship—abandoning chemical dyeing in favor of natural plant extraction; and positioning—precisely targeting high-end menswear brands and designer fashion orders to avoid low-end price wars. This combination is rare in Keqiao because natural fibers are costly and processes are complex, demanding rigorous supply chain capabilities. But once established, it creates a high competitive barrier.
Dual-Brand Synergy: Shared Supply Chain, Offsetting Market Capture
Haoli is not starting from scratch; it deeply shares Qiting's industrial infrastructure. Its outdoor fabric production line is equipped with Italian imported napping machines for fleece fabrics, continuously expanding capacity to improve supply chain bargaining power and production speed. Meanwhile, Haoli shares a 15,000-square-meter large warehouse, employing both stock and custom order models: stock items can quickly fulfill small urgent orders, while custom orders are controlled within 3-10 days depending on category, with the fastest delivery achieving one-hour dispatch thanks to complete inventory. This rapid response capability is a key service dimension that high-end designer clients value most.
Synergy also extends to channels. Qiting has long cultivated foreign trade, with exports meeting EU-standard fluorine-free environmental requirements, maintaining an 8-10 year partnership with Qiaodun, and accumulating clients like Xiaobeibei, Yingqi, Macedonia, and Xiaozhubanna. These customer resources are internally funneled to help Haoli open high-end menswear channels. Conversely, Haoli's premium positioning enhances Qiting's brand image, creating mutual empowerment. This model of "one supply chain, two brands, offset markets" offers stronger resilience than going solo.
Digitalization and AI: An Invisible Moat for High-End Fabric Services
In high-end fabric business, service efficiency often outweighs price. Haoli's general manager Li Xiongzhen revealed that the team has participated in the digital fabric construction of the AI Bu mini-program, completing digital archiving of core fabrics such as waffle, health cloth, double-sided plain knit, mesh, air layer, and pique. In practice, the one-click matching of similar fabrics significantly aids high-end business—designers and brand buyers often bring fabric swatches to find similar materials. Previously, manual matching and color card comparison were inefficient, and remote communication with foreign trade clients was time-consuming. After digitalization, the system quickly retrieves matches, saving labor and improving accuracy.
The industry significance is that high-end fabric clients demand strict standards on pattern and texture, and service response speed directly affects order conversion. Digital tools standardize a process that once relied on personal experience, lowering service barriers and enabling efficient handling of small-batch, multi-variety orders. Additionally, the AI布 experience center in the Dongsheng Road outdoor fabric district is about to begin trial operations, featuring smart body measurement, 3D virtual fitting, fabric visual creation, and garment simulation, linking online and offline displays of physical fabrics and virtual samples. This means fabric display is no longer limited to physical swatches; designers can preview garment effects online, greatly expanding customer reach.
Transformation Results and Industry Insights
Two years after the strategic transformation, dual-brand synergy has shown initial results. Li Xiongzhen noted that overall brand performance improved significantly last year, and based on current order growth, this year's business is expected to maintain a good growth momentum. This outcome is not accidental but the result of the combined effect of differentiated positioning, supply chain efficiency, and digital tools. For local Keqiao merchants, Haoli's path offers a replicable upgrade approach: rather than fighting price wars in the red ocean, build technical and service barriers in niche segments. Of course, this requires upfront investment and precise market judgment, and not all merchants are suited for the high-end route, but it at least proves that in Keqiao, there is an alternative to low-price volume.