One in every five sweaters worldwide is produced in Dalang, Guangdong, with an annual output of about 900 million pieces and a total industrial chain transaction value exceeding 72 billion yuan. Yet capacity advantages have not automatically translated into brand premium, and the label of OEM production remains a pain point for many enterprises. On August 26, 22 Dalang companies traveled to Shanghai for a supply-demand matchmaking event, debuting pet knitwear on the display stage, aiming to reshape external perceptions of this industrial base through precise matching.
Event Background
Held at the POP headquarters building in Shanghai, the event gathered 22 local Dalang knitwear enterprises, covering categories such as blended colored yarn, worsted wool, smart temperature-regulating functional yarn, and men's and women's sweaters—spanning the entire chain from yarn to garment. A dedicated negotiation area was set up, allowing buyers and suppliers to inspect samples face-to-face and push orders from samples to bulk. For buyers, this model saves cross-regional travel and provides one-stop access to key Dalang supply chain links.
Notably, the event went beyond order matching, incorporating trend release and pet knitwear dynamic display. Key stitch techniques, colors, and detail applications for the 27/28 season were interpreted on-site, along with AI-assisted design and style forecasting. This indicates that Dalang enterprises are not just producing to order but are attempting to integrate trend and design tools into the development stage, preparing for the next season in advance.
Industry Impact
The debut of pet knitwear was the highlight of the event. Mature knitting techniques such as coarse gauge, fine gauge, and jacquard were extended to pet apparel, demonstrating the industry's cross-border innovation capability. With the pet economy heating up, knitted pet clothing has become a new category Dalang enterprises are pursuing. For factories, this means existing equipment and technology can be reused with low marginal costs, while product added value may far exceed that of ordinary adult sweaters.
From an industrial cluster perspective, Dalang boasts 150,000 computerized flat knitting machines and over 2,000 yarn enterprises, with annual yarn sales exceeding one million tons. This scale advantage enables Dalang to handle small-batch, multi-style orders flexibly, and flexible manufacturing capability is a core metric valued by Yangtze Delta brands and cross-border e-commerce buyers. The choice of Shanghai as the venue is intentional: leveraging the core market window of the Yangtze Delta to present capacity, design, and manufacturing capabilities directly to domestic and foreign buyers.
For buyers, Dalang offers a one-stop procurement experience: selecting yarn, confirming knitting, making garments, and fast delivery. Full industrial chain support means controllable delivery times and traceable quality, reducing coordination costs across multiple suppliers. However, Dalang faces challenges: how to transition from 'OEM origin' to 'regional brand' and how to make design capabilities known to the market still require sustained effort. This event is an attempt for the regional brand to speak out, and similar activities are expected to become regular.