One in every five sweaters worldwide originates from Dalang, a production base that is now striving to step out of the shadows. On August 26, the Dalang National Foreign Trade Transformation and Upgrading Base (Garment) held a supply-demand matchmaking event in Shanghai, where 22 local enterprises showcased a full range of products, and pet knitwear made its debut in a dynamic show. This is not just another regional brand exposure; it reflects the transformation path of a traditional knitwear cluster under the pressure of demand fragmentation and digitalization.
Background
Dalang's knitwear industry began in 1979 and now boasts 150,000 computerized flat knitting machines and over 2,000 yarn enterprises, with annual yarn sales exceeding one million tons and a total industrial transaction value exceeding 72 billion yuan. These figures depict a highly mature vertical cluster, yet the label of "original equipment manufacturer" has long suppressed its bargaining power. The event was strategically held in Shanghai to leverage the purchasing radiation of the Yangtze River Delta core market, presenting production capacity, original design, and flexible manufacturing capabilities directly to domestic and international brands and cross-border e-commerce buyers.
Industrial Impact
The debut of pet knitwear is particularly symbolic. When mature techniques such as coarse gauge, fine gauge, and jacquard are transferred to the pet apparel track, it signals that Dalang is no longer focusing solely on human clothing but is converting its knitting capabilities into cross-category solutions. With the pet economy heating up, such high-value-added, design-driven products can absorb the cluster's differentiated production capacity, opening a second growth curve for factories.
The trend release segment also deserves attention. On-site interpretations of key stitch methods, colors, and details for the 27/28 season, along with AI-aided design and style prediction, offer more long-term value than simply taking orders. For factories, locking in next season's trend elements in advance means reducing trial-and-error costs and optimizing inventory structures; for buyers, it allows earlier involvement in the development process to secure differentiated products. The implementation of AI design tools is transforming "guessing hits" into "calculating hits," and if the Dalang cluster can standardize this capability, it has the opportunity to upgrade from a mere manufacturer to a trend participant.
The precision of supply-demand matching was also deliberately emphasized. From colored yarn, worsted wool to garments, the 22 enterprises cover the complete supply chain, with on-site sample viewing and immediate negotiation, promoting the conversion of samples into bulk orders. This face-to-face model becomes a scarce value in an era dominated by online communication—subtle quality indicators like hand feel, color cards, and stitch types require physical contact to build trust. For Yangtze River Delta brands, this shortens the supplier screening cycle; for Dalang factories, it provides direct feedback on end-market demand, feeding back into production.