Flexible Supply Chain Enables 72-Hour Custom Jerseys

At the 2026 FIFA World Cup, players from Jordan and Bosnia wore jerseys from Chinese brand Kelme—marking the first time a Chinese domestic sportswear brand has served as a national team jersey supplier on football's biggest stage. Kelme now stands alongside Nike, Adidas, and Puma as the world's fourth-largest sportswear brand in terms of national team jersey sponsorships for this tournament.

But what truly deserves attention isn't just the on-field exposure—it's the supply chain capability behind these jerseys.

In Chendai Town, Jinjiang, Kelme leverages its industrial cluster and flexible production lines to offer a "72-hour custom jersey" service: from fabric weaving to finished product inspection and shipping, custom orders can be completed in as little as 72 hours. Under traditional models, this process typically takes 15 to 20 days.

This capability stems from Kelme's years of sustained investment in its supply chain—from yarn weaving, digital printing, and heat transfer sublimation to automated stitching. Kelme has built a fully integrated system from fabric to finished apparel. This system had already proven itself in grassroots tournaments like the "Northeast Super League" and "Mongolia Super League." During World Cup preparations—through dozens of jersey design iterations, cross-time-zone communications with football associations, and urgent pre-tournament restocking—the flexibility of this supply chain was tested time and again.

RFID Reconstructs the Entire Product Circulation Chain

The next upgrade to the supply chain lies in digital management.

Centric RFID is now deploying a full-link RFID solution for Kelme. As an RFID solution provider focused on the fashion industry, Centric RFID's core approach is to assign a unique chip tag to each item, enabling "one item, one code" single-item-level management. The project is being implemented in phases, with equipment being calibrated and systems integrated.

Warehouse & Store Efficiency Gains

Once fully operational, this system will unlock new capabilities across Kelme's product circulation:

• Warehouse: Full-case jerseys pass through RFID tunnel readers, completing receiving and shipping verification in seconds—eliminating manual piece-by-piece counting and drastically improving throughput.

• Store: Staff walk through the store with RFID handheld scanners, and inventory updates automatically—reducing counting time from hours to minutes.

• Data Insights: The real-time flow of every item—from factory to point of sale—is fully traceable. Headquarters can instantly see which styles are moving fastest through which channels, providing precise data for restocking and marketing decisions.

From Manufacturing Strength to Data-Driven Management

From supply chain coordination to digital product circulation, Kelme is steadily transforming its manufacturing advantages—built within the industrial cluster—into data-driven management capabilities.

Flexible production makes "72-hour customization" possible, while RFID makes every jersey flowing to market perceptible, traceable, and analyzable. When Chinese manufacturing meets digitalization, the "Chinese jerseys" at the World Cup are no longer just a brand appearance—they are a showcase of supply chain excellence.