As the new school semester begins across China, demand for learning supplies and sportswear has entered its peak season.

Known as the "capital of children's clothing in China," Zhili in Wuxing district, Huzhou city, East China's Zhejiang province, is home to more than 14,000 children's clothing enterprises. The town produces an astonishing 2 billion garments annually, accounting for two-thirds of the children's clothing market in the country.

With the production and sales season in full swing, local companies are operating at full capacity to meet orders.

At one local garment factory specializing in school uniforms, digitalized hanging systems keep assembly lines running efficiently, enabling the production of up to 20,000 sets of school uniforms per day.

"This is our busiest time of year. Regular children's clothing can be produced a season in advance, whereas school uniform companies usually mostly handle seasonal orders with much tighter production cycles," said Jiang Haiyan, the company's production supervisor. She added that the hanging system-equipped lines save time and improve management efficiency, boosting output by more than 30 percent.

Amid shifting domestic and global market conditions, Zhili's children's apparel enterprises are embracing smart manufacturing, targeting niche markets, and enhancing their industrial competitiveness.

The company, which has been based in Zhili for more than two decades, shifted its business model in 2012 to focus on the school uniform market. In recent years, it has continued to develop functional fabrics and innovative designs to differentiate itself.

"We aim to incorporate local characteristics and school culture into our designs. In addition, our brand is rolling out new styles such as class uniforms and group uniforms. Our current annual output reaches about 3 million sets," said Jin Yang, the company's executive.

Today, Zhili is not only a major global production base for children's clothing but also one of China's largest school uniform manufacturing hubs. From January to July 2025, sales of children's apparel in Zhili exceeded 52 billion yuan (about $7.28 billion).

Hu Qunya, head of a children's clothing company, said her firm serves customers across European, American, and Asian markets. Since adopting digital transformation in 2019, the company has ensured more efficient and convenient management.

"The pace of children's clothing development is very fast—once orders are placed, shipment must be swift. Through digital transformation, we've streamlined information channels, enhanced decision-making efficiency, and achieved steady sales growth," Hu said.