The US industry leader Nike dominates the Chinese market. In 2017/2018, Nike generated sales of around 3.5 billion US dollars with shoes alone in China. The largest sporting goods manufacturer in the world is and remains the number 1 sports brand in China.
Adidas is just behind Nike in the Chinese market and ranks second among the most valuable brands. Adidas products are popular with Chinese customers. Just like Nike, Adidas is considered a status symbol there. For Adidas, China is now the largest regional market.
Anta is the largest Chinese sports brand and the number 3 on the Chinese sports market. In order to reach the world market leaders Anta wants to buy the Finnish competitor Amer Sports (Salomon, Arc'teryx, Peak Performance, Atomic) for about four billion euros. This would also make Anta an important player worldwide. The Chinese brand has already polished up its image. One reason for this is the cooperation with NBA players who are popular in China.
The Chinese sports brand Li-Ning is behind Anta Sports in China but is becoming increasingly popular. At the Olympic Games in Rio 2016, the company equipped the Chinese team, which still competed in Adidas clothes in 2012. In the USA, NBA star Dwayne Wade (pictured right) is the most important advertising partner. On the European market, Li-Ning is only working its way up slowly.
The Chinese sporting goods manufacturer 361 Degrees International is one of the largest sports brands in China. Last year, 361° focused primarily on the e-commerce business. For 2018, the Group intends to strengthen its cooperation with e-commerce platforms such as Tmall, JD and Vipshop in order to promote the combination of online and offline sales channels. In addition to offices in Asia and Europe, the Company also has offices in the United States and Brazil.
Arc'teryx is a Candian sports brand that is gaining ground in China. The outdoor outfitter belonging to Amer Sports has built up a very good reputation in China. Arc'teryx continues its expansion in the Chinese market and opened a new brand shop in Beijing in 2018.
