On August 1, a two-month autumn/winter garment trade fair kicked off in Xiaoli Town, Rongcheng County, Xiong'an New Area, with the main venue at Xiong'an Design Center and exhibition areas extending to Dongxiaoli Village. Unlike typical industry shows, this fair is embedded directly in the production heartland, with over a hundred local manufacturers showcasing together. The message is clear: Xiaoli is no longer content to be an OEM base; it aims to leverage cross-border e-commerce and digital technology to transform four decades of manufacturing expertise into a brand advantage for global markets.
Industry Background and Pain Points
Xiaoli's garment industry started in the 1980s with family workshops and has evolved into a specialized cluster known for middle-aged jackets, fleece, autumn/winter cotton coats, and outdoor functional wear. These products sell well domestically and internationally due to solid craftsmanship and cost-effectiveness. However, homogenized competition and over-reliance on domestic channels are pressing issues. The town government openly acknowledged these challenges and proposed four transformation directions: cross-border e-commerce, AI+3D digital design, renewable green fabrics, and automated smart production lines—a systematic overhaul of the traditional manufacturing model.
Highlights and Transformation Signals
The two-day opening ceremony packed more content than typical local events: keynote forums, fashion shows, full supply chain sharing, roundtable discussions, and cross-border e-commerce training. The runway show featured local designs including trench coats, fleece, and outdoor series, with renewable eco-friendly fabrics as a standout—indicating that Xiaoli enterprises are integrating sustainability into product development. The sharing sessions were pragmatic, with representatives from cross-border e-commerce parks, Amazon platform expansion, AI design tech providers, fiber companies, and smart sewing equipment suppliers covering the entire chain from fabric to end channels.
Notably, the fair included specialized training on platforms like Amazon, TikTok, Ozon, and Etsy, covering store operations, branding, and AI design tools. This "expo plus training" format suggests Xiaoli aims to democratize cross-border channels, moving beyond top enterprises to empower small and medium factories to directly reach overseas retail demand.
Industry Impact and Prospects
From an industry perspective, the Xiaoli fair reflects the shared anxiety and breakthrough paths of county-level garment clusters. With domestic demand under pressure and overseas demand persistent, pure processing orders yield shrinking margins. Xiaoli's chosen path is a trinity of "manufacturing + design + cross-border": digital upgrades for production flexibility, AI design to shorten sampling cycles, and cross-border e-commerce to bypass intermediaries and connect directly with consumers. If this model succeeds, it means more flexible supply chain responses for buyers and a shift from passive order-taking to proactive development for factories.
Xiong'an New Area's location and policy advantages provide unique support. The Cross-border E-commerce Comprehensive Service Center presented special support policies at the opening, including operational support, service guarantees, and development incentives, lowering trial costs for local enterprises. The roundtable, themed "Jointly Breaking Through," gathered platforms, parks, service providers, and manufacturers. Though roles differ, the consensus is clear: Rongcheng's garment industry's next step is not a single-point breakthrough but whole-chain collaboration.