While the mass fabric market is mired in homogenized price wars, a group of merchants in Keqiao's Dongsheng Road outdoor fabric zone is trying to break through with differentiated positioning. Haoli Textile locks its product prices in the 100-600 yuan per meter range, using natural fibers such as wool, silk, and lyocell, and replacing traditional chemical dyeing with plant-extracted coloring. This strategy helps it avoid low-end competition and directly target high-end menswear brands and designer orders, offering a noteworthy example for regional fabric upgrades.
Background
Haoli's growth traces back to the Qiting brand, which started operations in 2013 and was officially registered in 2014. Qiting initially set up a storefront in the East Market, focusing on basic school uniform fabrics, accumulating stable customers and a mature supply chain through solid quality control. In 2018, as industry competition intensified and conventional fabric profits came under pressure, the brand initiated a strategic transformation—on one hand, developing functional outdoor fabrics, and on the other, establishing Haoli Textile to target the high-end business menswear market, forming a dual-brand independent operation.
Qiting was among the first batch of merchants to enter Phase I of the Dongsheng Road outdoor functional fabric zone. As the high-end fabric business matured, Haoli opened an independent booth in Phase II. General manager Li Xiongzhen noted that Dongsheng Road attracts quality brands, e-commerce sellers, and designers who demand finer fabrics and offer better order conversion, making it an ideal platform for high-end fabric business. This path from basic to premium fabrics reflects a typical approach for Keqiao merchants responding to industry divergence.
Industry Impact
Haoli's product positioning is not simply about raising prices but building barriers from material and process origins. Its full adoption of natural fibers combined with plant dyeing highlights environmental attributes, aligning with current sustainable fashion trends. The 100-600 yuan price range means its target customers are high-end menswear brands and designer studios, who are less price-sensitive but demand excellent hand-feel and construction, providing more stable profit margins for the factory.
On the supply chain front, Haoli leverages its own factory under an integrated industry-trade model, sharing a 15,000-square-meter warehouse and adopting both stock and custom order modes. Stock allows quick fulfillment of small urgent orders, while custom orders take 3-10 days depending on category, with the fastest shipment possible within one hour. This rapid response capability is crucial for high-end clients who often need quick samples or reorders. Meanwhile, the outdoor fabric production line is equipped with Italian imported napping machines to expand capacity and enhance supply chain bargaining power.
The introduction of digital tools further amplifies service advantages. Haoli participates in the AI-Bu mini-program's digital fabric database, archiving core fabrics such as waffle, health knit, double jersey, mesh, air layer, and pique. Previously, designers bringing fabric swatches had to rely on manual searching and color card comparison, which was inefficient, and remote communication with overseas clients was time-consuming. Now the system can quickly match identical or similar fabrics with higher accuracy, saving significant labor time. For high-end fabric business, digitalization has become an essential service infrastructure.
Notably, the AI-Bu experience hall in the Dongsheng Road zone is about to enter trial operation, featuring smart body measurement, 3D virtual fitting, fabric visual creation, and garment simulation. This online-offline integration displays physical fabrics and virtual samples, catering to designers and brand buyers' smart fabric sourcing needs. This layout signals that fabric sales are shifting from simple display to immersive experience, which has practical significance for improving purchasing decision efficiency.
Dual-brand synergy is another key strategy. Qiting focuses on outdoor functional fabrics, with export channels in Europe and America, meeting EU standards for fluorine-free environmental protection. Domestically, it has long-term partnerships with brands like Qiaodun, Xiaobeibei, Yingqi, Macedonia, and Xiaozhubanna. These customer resources can be cross-directed to help Haoli open high-end menswear channels. After two years of strategic transformation, overall performance has improved significantly, and current order growth suggests continued momentum this year.