Amid a climate of increasing consumer rationality, the way that luxury goods need to compete in the market is changing. Sports and health-related spending offer new opportunities for luxury sports to create value. Premium outdoor and sports brands need to enhance specialist expertise to win over consumers, while luxury brands must adapt to the shift from grand narratives to a focus on experiences and quality of life. Brands can leverage co-branded products to bridge specialist expertise and luxury aesthetics and create exclusivity through luxury sports experiences to organically generate sales and long-term loyalty.
Qiqian Li, Senior Research Analyst – Luxury & Fashion, China
Market Definitions
Luxury activewear refers to a type of clothing where specialist sports functionality meets the craftsmanship, aesthetics and status symbols associated with luxury brands. It can be used in sports/exercise scenarios and also serves as an expression of one’s lifestyle and social identity.
The luxury activewear covered in this Report includes sports products from luxury brands and products from premium outdoor/sports brands, as well as co-branded products from luxury brands and outdoor/sports brands.
Sports products from luxury brands: specialised or semi-specialised products developed by traditional luxury brands within their clothing or accessory lines that are focused on sports, outdoor or athleisure scenarios. Sports products from luxury brands include Hermès’ fitness range, Louis Vuitton’s skiing line, Chanel’s tennis range, Celine’s pilates range and Loro Piana’s golf line.
Products from premium outdoor/sports brands: brands whose core emphasis is on sports or outdoor pursuits, focusing on specialist performance, material technology and durability, together with design, brand culture and premium positioning. Premium outdoor/sports brands include Arc’teryx, Patagonia, Bogner, Wilson and Alo Yoga.
Co-branded products from luxury brands and outdoor/sports brands: cross-category co-branded products that leverage specialist sports functionality and luxury brands’ design language and brand equity. Co-branded products from luxury brands and outdoor/sports brands include the Gucci × The North Face outdoor range, Loewe × On sports range, Miu Miu × New Balance footwear, YSL × Wilson tennis line and the Jimmy Choo × Malbon Golf line.
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EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
- Key issues in this Report
- Definitions
- What you need to know
- Market factors
- The consumer and opportunities
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THE MARKET
- China’s economy sees stable growth in 2025, with sports-related consumption continuing to rise
- Consumer confidence steady but cautious
- Graph 1: confidence index* for improved financial situation in the next three months, 2024-26
- Graph 2: confidence in improved financial situation in the next three months, 2025
- Rational spending means luxury products need to hold their value and respond to experiential needs
- Graph 3: luxury goods/services purchased in the past 12 months and planned purchases of luxury goods/services in the next 12 months, 2025
- High-income groups still willing to spend on luxury products
- Graph 4: total expenditure on luxury goods/services in the last 12 months, by monthly household income, 2025
- Graph 5: total budget for luxury goods/services in the next 12 months, by monthly household income, 2025
- Consumer focus on health motivates spending on luxury sports products
- Graph 6: motivations to stay engaged in sports, 2025
- Graph 7: changes in health management behaviour, 2025
- Luxury sports products leverage focus on healthy lifestyles and everyday expressions of identity
- Graph 8: China, alternatives to luxury brands in the next 12 months, 2025
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THE CONSUMER AND OPPORTUNITIES
- Technology first
- Consumers willing to pay for specialist performance; premium professional sports brands well-placed to leverage their advantages
- Graph 9: the most likely brands to be purchased for various types of activewear and footwear in the next 12 months, 2025
- High-income consumers gravitate towards specialist performance, driving demand for premium categories from professional sports brands
- Graph 10: most likely to purchase professional sports brands when buying various types of activewear and footwear in the next 12 months, by monthly household income, 2025
- Premium outdoor performance brands should focus first on Tier 1 cities to cultivate awareness around specialist performance
- Graph 11: most likely to purchase professional sports brands when buying various types of activewear and footwear in the next 12 months, by city tier, 2025
- Use simulations of sports scenarios to tap into consumers’ affinity for technology
- Consumers look for clothing and shoes that combine both comfort and safety
- Graph 12: most important features when buying sports and outdoor clothing for oneself, 2025
- Graph 13: most important features when buying sports and outdoor footwear for oneself, 2025
- Core performance, secondary functions and bonus additional features to win over consumers with specialised differentiation
- Meet core comfort and performance needs, then establish a clear functional proposition targeted at the right level
- Emphasis on luxury
- Fashion and stylishness increasingly important for both everyday and high-end sports
- Graph 14: fashionable design and high functionality are key purchasing factors for specific types of sports clothing and footwear, 2025
- Luxury brands can focus on high-frequency usage categories that are highly embedded into everyday life to increase the visibility of luxury
- Graph 15: most likely to purchase luxury brands when buying different types of sports clothing and footwear in the next 12 months, 2025
- Graph 16: interest in wearing sport and outdoor clothing or footwear in everyday scenarios in the next 12 months, 2025
- Luxury brands’ sports products should balance pleasure and comfort with traditional narratives around luxury
- Graph 17: definition of luxury goods, by gender, 2025
- Accessories provide pleasure and self-expression, creating experiences infused with personalisation
- Transform comfort into tangible luxury
- Exercise supports physical and mental wellbeing, luxury sports products need to embody lifestyles and help craft consumers’ self-image
- Graph 18: exercise frequency, 2025
- Graph 19: motivations for exercising – light workout group vs active fitness enthusiasts, 2025
- Luxury brands can establish symbolic value in high-end sports
- Graph 20: sports competitions watched in the last 12 months, by monthly household income, 2025
- Graph 21: type of brand most likely to be purchased when buying golf clothes in the next 12 months, by monthly household income, 2025
- Create exclusive value in high net worth sports scenarios
- Graph 22: key considerations for purchasing specific sports footwear and clothing – affordable price, 2025
- The rise of premium sports fashion styles; restraint and order create a relaxed sense of luxury
- Co-branding a prime opportunity
- Connecting sports performance with premium lifestyles, co-branded products are popular in both premium and outdoor segments
- Graph 23: the most likely brands to be purchased for various types of activewear and footwear in the next 12 months, 2025
- Footwear with high functionality and distinctive visual features a key co-branding opportunity
- Graph 24: most likely to purchase sports brand and luxury brand co-branded products when purchasing various sports clothing and footwear in the next 12 months, 2025
- Sporty chic trend on the rise, with trainers reshaping the idea of everyday luxury fashion
- Premium outdoor categories such as ski wear offer a key opportunity for professional sports brands to reach consumers through co-branding
- Graph 25: types of brands most likely to be purchased when buying ski wear in the next 12 months, by age, 2025
- Co-branding between luxury brands and professional sports brands can significantly improve consumers’ opinion of the brand
- Graph 26: consumers’ opinion of luxury brands co-branding with professional sports brands, by monthly household income, 2025
- Post-1980s the focus for luxury brands expanding into sports categories
- Graph 27: luxury brand initiatives – would improve my opinion, by generation, 2025
- Graph 28: consumers’ opinion of luxury brands co-branding with professional sports brands, by generation, 2025
- Luxury sports experiences enhance exclusivity
- Luxury sports holidays are trending, with the luxury experience being more important than the health outcomes
- From trendy interactions to predictable socialising, luxury sports holidays can adopt strategies targeting generational preferences
- Graph 29: interest in participating in/watching sports-themed activities hosted by luxury brands, by generation, 2025
- Health and luxury for high-net-worth individuals: freedom to use time to invest in oneself and healing
- Graph 30: interest in participating in/watching sports-themed activities hosted by luxury brands, by monthly household income, 2025
- Graph 31: perceptions of scarcity, 2025
- Luxury sports holidays are a key scenario for reaching VICs and managing customer relations
- Condensed luxury sports holidays, offering health and leisure amidst city life
- Use scarcity to create exclusive experiences and facilitate entry to social circles
- Graph 32: commercial initiatives that would improve consumers’ opinion of a luxury brand, 2025
- Use positioning and status to strategically shape the brand
- Use exclusive privileges to encourage high-potential clients to elevate their relationship with the brand
- Community conveys lifestyle, social circles create a sense of belonging
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WHAT WE THINK
- Balancing function and identity, using co-branding to expand the luxury market, creating exclusivity with luxury experiences
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APPENDIX – METHODOLOGY, CONFIDENCE INDEX CALCULATION, ABBREVIATIONS
- Methodology
- Confidence index calculation
- Abbreviations
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