Sweaterpi Launches: Jiaxing Sweater City Group Unveils "Supply Chain + Brand" Dual-Engine Strategy for Global Knitwear Buyers

Jiaxing, Zhejiang — Jiaxing Sweater City Group Co., Ltd., the state-owned knitwear platform rooted in Honghe Town, China's largest sweater manufacturing cluster, this month officially unveiled its "Supply Chain + Brand" dual-engine strategy, anchored by the launch of its curated collection brand Sweaterpi. The announcement marks a significant shift: from a traditional OEM manufacturing hub to a fully integrated, brand-driven sourcing partner for global fashion buyers.

For decades, Honghe Town has been the beating heart of China's knitwear industry. With over 40 years of manufacturing heritage, the cluster generates an annual trade volume exceeding RMB 200 billion and an annual output of 400 million pieces. More than 200 enterprises and 11,000 businesses operate within its ecosystem, directly supporting 70,000 to 80,000 jobs. It is, by any measure, one of the world's most concentrated and capable knitwear production zones. Yet, for much of its history, the region's value proposition to international buyers has been narrowly defined: competitive pricing and massive scale.

Sweater City Group's new strategy aims to change that.

"We are building something fundamentally different," said Shirley Shen, Supply Chain Executive Director of Jiaxing Sweater City Group. "Our role is not simply to connect buyers with factories. We are creating an integrated platform where quality assurance, design innovation, brand development, and logistics coordination happen under one roof. Buyers don't need to manage five different vendors — they work with one trusted partner."

The Dual-Engine Framework

The strategy rests on two interconnected pillars.

The first is a supply chain enablement system, led by the state-owned platform. This system provides end-to-end support for overseas buyers and local manufacturers alike: trend research, design development, sample making, quality control, customs clearance, and global logistics. Crucially, it also introduces a tiered supplier certification program, evaluating factories across four dimensions — development capability, export readiness, small-order flexibility, and quality consciousness — to ensure only reliable capacity is onboarded.

The second pillar is the "1+2" brand matrix. At its center is Sweaterpi, a curated collection brand showcasing certified Honghe knitwear to professional buyers worldwide. Flanking it are two sub-brands: a design-driven premium line targeting mature markets in Europe, the United States, Japan, and Korea, and a fast-fashion line optimized for speed and value in emerging markets including Russia, Southeast Asia, the Middle East, and Belt & Road countries.

"Brand is the engine of value creation," Shen explained. "By building our own brand equity, we create pricing power that flows back to the entire supply chain. It's the difference between earning a processing fee and sharing in brand dividends."

Three Physical Centers, One Digital Ecosystem

The strategy is grounded in three on-site facilities currently under development:

Product R&D Center (4th Floor, Fashion Industrial Park): Equipped with AI design workstations, 3D virtual sampling technology, and a material innovation lab exploring eco-friendly and functional yarns. The goal: reduce sample turnaround from weeks to days.

Supply Chain Showroom (3rd Floor, Zhongchuang Boutique Sweater Market): An immersive 3,000㎡ flagship space where certified suppliers and Sweaterpi collections are displayed. Buyers can inspect products, conduct meetings, and place orders on-site. A dedicated livestreaming studio with AI digital hosts enables 24/7 multilingual product presentation.

Quality Control & Inspection Center: The gatekeeper of the ecosystem. Every shipment passes through a standardized digital quality system with full-process traceability — from yarn origin to finished garment.

Complementing the physical centers is a digital ecosystem: region-specific independent websites, a multi-language Sweaterpi brand portal, and a coordinated social media presence across Instagram, TikTok, LinkedIn, and YouTube.

Beyond Knitwear: The "Winterwear Fleet"

In a move that expands the platform's relevance beyond knitwear alone, Sweater City Group has forged strategic alliances with two neighboring industrial clusters: Haining Leather City and Pinghu Down Jacket City. Together, they form what the company calls a "Winterwear Fleet" — a cross-category sourcing alliance that enables buyers to assemble a complete winter collection (knitwear, leather, down jackets) through a single point of contact.

"For a buyer planning their autumn/winter range, this is a game-changer," said Shen. "One trip to Jiaxing, one partner to coordinate, and your entire winter assortment is covered. The efficiency gain is enormous."

What This Means for Buyers

For international fashion brands, private labels, and wholesalers, Sweater City Group's new positioning offers several tangible advantages:

Single-window sourcing: From knitwear to full winterwear, one contact manages it all.

Verified quality: The supplier certification framework and in-house QC center reduce sourcing risk.

Brand-ready solutions: Private label, custom packaging, and full OEM/ODM with design support.

Agile production: Low MOQs starting at 100 pieces, sample turnaround in 7-10 days, and a flexible supply chain capable of handling both bulk orders and small-batch fast-fashion runs.

Market-specific approach: Dedicated product lines and brand positioning calibrated for different regional markets, not a one-size-fits-all catalog.

Looking Ahead

The launch of Sweaterpi and the dual-engine strategy represents more than a corporate milestone — it signals a broader ambition for the Honghe knitwear cluster. The vision, as articulated by Sweater City Group, is a three-phase evolution: from state-led enablement and brand pioneering, to an ecosystem where independent enterprises thrive under their own brand identities, collectively forming a powerful "Honghe Knitwear Fleet" in global markets.

"We are at an inflection point," Shen concluded. "The manufacturing foundation is world-class. What we are adding now is the strategic layer — design, brand, digital presence, and integrated service — that transforms a production base into a true sourcing destination."

For buyers seeking a reliable, forward-looking knitwear partner in China, the message is clear: Honghe is open for business, and Sweater City Group is the door.