“Consumers increasingly prefer professional and specialised sportswear and shoes, even if they cost more. Basic functions and comfort of sportswear is still considered a priority, while consumers crave for more multi-functional products. Domestic sportswear brands have become Chinese consumers’ favourites. They can continue to enhance their brand influence by delivering a unique experience to consumers through their DTC channels.”
– Helen Ren, Research Analyst
Key issues covered in this Report
- Consumers’ spending preferences and the important functions they pay attention to when purchasing sportswear and shoes.
- Consideration factors consumers have for sportswear brands, both domestic and international.
- Brand activities to gain consumers’ favours.
- Consumers’ current and future sportswear brand preferences.
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Overview
- What you need to know
- Key issues covered in this Report
- Definitions
- What you need to know
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Executive Summary
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- The market
- National policies and sporting events impact the market favourably
- Outdoor fitness activities continue to recover
- Companies and brands
- Nike and adidas continue localisation
- Anta and Li Ning increase investment in product development
- Specialised sports brands perform well
- Retailers and fast fashion brands launch own sports brands
- Brands spokespeople balance professionalism and mass appeal
- Sports brands entering the metaverse
- Marketing in conjunction with sporting events
- Online professional sports courses and time-limited challenges to raise interests
- Promote sustainability in sportswear
- Specialised products for niche sports categories
- Physical products launched in collocation with their digital versions
- The consumer
- Consumers have spent more on professional products
- Figure 1: Purchased sports and fitness wear by category, 2022
- Consumers still value basic functions
- Figure 2: Important functions of sports clothing, 2022
- Comfort is priority, followed by functionality
- Figure 3: Important functions of sports shoes, 2022
- Domestic sports brands on par with international brands in products while need to catch up in brand building
- Figure 4: Consideration factors for domestic and international sports brands, 2022
- Multiple things brands can do to win consumers over
- Figure 5: Brands activities to earn favours from consumers, 2022
- Consumers prefer domestic brands and specialist sports brands
- Figure 6: Preference of select sportswear brands, 2022
- What we think
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Issues and Insights
- Specialised and professional sportswear products and brands are in demand
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- Figure 7: lululemon sports shoes collection designed for women, March 2022
- Bringing unique experiences and lifestyles via direct-to-consumer channels
- Figure 8: Saturnbird WeChat mini-program “The Hidden World”, 2022
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- Figure 9: Fila House Hotel announced in 2022
- Specialised and professional sportswear products and brands are in demand
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Market Factors
- National policies advocate public fitness activities
- The Winter Olympics drives popularity of winter sports and products
- Outdoor fitness activities continue to recover
- National policies advocate public fitness activities
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Key Players Performance
- Nike and adidas continue localisation
- Anta and Li Ning increase investment in product development
- Specialised sports brands perform well
- Retailers and fast fashion brands launch own sports brands
- Nike and adidas continue localisation
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Marketing Activities
- Brands spokespeople balance professionalism and mass appeal
- Figure 10: Keep officially announced Yuyi Xiao as its spokesman for protective gears, May 2022
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- Figure 11: Maia Active launched variety show and product campaign with common consumers, 2021and 2022
- Sports brands entering the metaverse
- Figure 12: Anta held a fashion show in the metaverse, 2022
- Figure 13: adidas launched Three Stripes Studio, 2023
- Marketing in conjunction with sporting events
- Figure 14: Advertising film themed the World Cup “Footballverse” launched by Nike, 2022
- Figure 15: “Footballverse” in WeChat account, 2022
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- Figure 16: Anta’s fashion show paying tribute to the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics, 2022
- Online professional sports courses and time-limited challenges to raise interests
- Figure 17: Under Armour introduced boxing courses and a time-limited challenge, 2022
- Brands spokespeople balance professionalism and mass appeal
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New Product Trends
- Promote sustainability in sportswear
- Figure 18: Nike Forward Collection, 2022
- Figure 19: CQT Carbon Critical Technology by 361°, 2022
- Specialised products for niche sports categories
- Figure 20: Nike introduced new skateboard shoes and shoes for women street dancers, 2022
- Physical products launched in collocation with their digital versions
- Figure 21: Nike and RTFKT introduced Web 3.0 sneaker Cryptokicks iRL, 2022
- Figure 22: 361°“ I am the Future of the East” series, 2022
- Promote sustainability in sportswear
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Spending on Sportswear
- Consumers have spent more on professional products
- Figure 23: Purchased sports and fitness wear by category, 2022
- New moms spent more on yoga pants and leggings
- Figure 24: Have purchased yoga pants/leggings, by family structure, 2022
- Protective gear can target consumers aged 25-39
- Figure 25: Have purchased protective gear, by age, 2022
- Consumers have spent more on professional products
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Focused Functions of Sports Clothing
- Consumers still value basic functions
- Figure 26: Repertoire analysis on focused functions of sports clothing, 2022
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- Figure 27: Important functions of sports clothing, 2022
- Female consumers care more about UV protection while males emphasise smooth material
- Figure 28: Important functions of sports clothing, by gender, 2022
- Pet owners take waterproof as an important function for sportswear
- Figure 29: Important functions of sports clothing, by living situation, 2022
- Well-educated consumers tend to have higher requirements
- Figure 30: Important functions of sports clothing, by education, 2022
- Consumers still value basic functions
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Focused Functions of Sports Shoes
- Comfort is priority, followed by functionality
- Figure 31: Important functions of sports shoes, 2022
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- Figure 32: Repertoire analysis on focused functions of sports shoes, 2022
- Multi-generation families emphasise health and safety aspects
- Figure 33: Important functions of sports shoes, by living situations, 2022
- Comfort is priority, followed by functionality
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Consideration Factors for Sports Brands
- Domestic sports brands on par with international brands in products while need to catch up in brand building
- Figure 34: Consideration factors for domestic and international sports brands, 2022
- Single consumers emphasise good cost performance, while those with families pay more attention to eco-friendly products
- Figure 35: Selected consideration factors for domestic and international sports brands, by living situation, 2022
- Domestic sports brands on par with international brands in products while need to catch up in brand building
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Brand Activities to Gain Consumers’ Favours
- Multiple things brands can do to win consumers over
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- Figure 36: Brands activities to earn favours from consumers, 2022
- Online sporting communities/clubs attract those who have spent more on sportswear
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- Figure 37: Brands activities to gain favours from consumers, those who have spent more on sportswear vs total, 2022
- Multiple things brands can do to win consumers over
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Brands Preferences
- Consumers prefer domestic brands and specialist sports brands
- Figure 38: Preference of select sportswear brands, 2022
- Domestic sports brands enjoy higher brand loyalty
- Figure 39: Consumers purchasing the same sports brands in the future, 2022
- Young consumers particularly favour domestic sports brands
- Figure 40: Purchased sportswear brands, by age, 2022
- Pet owners prefer professional brands
- Figure 41: Selected sports brands purchased and interested in purchasing in the future, by living situation, 2022
- Consumers having multiple children more interested in international sports brands
- Figure 42: Sports brands consumers are interested in purchasing in the future , by family structure, 2022
- Consumers prefer domestic brands and specialist sports brands
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Appendix – Methodology and Abbreviations
- Methodology
- Abbreviations
- Methodology
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