At a time when the luxury and premium sportswear markets are generally experiencing a “cooling,” Amer Sports, parent company of Arc’teryx, Salomon, and Wilson, delivered an exceptional performance in the third quarter. The company reported a 30% year-over-year increase in global revenue, reaching USD 1.756 billion, while net income attributable to shareholders surged 156% to USD 143 million.
The Chinese Mainland market stood out as a core highlight in the financial report: revenue in the Greater China region rose 47% year-over-year to USD 461.5 million. This growth not only outpaced the group’s overall performance but also contrasted with the recent slowdown reported by some international consumer brands operating in the market.
Following the release of the earnings report, Amer Sports CEO James Zheng, CFO Andrew Page, Arc’teryx CEO Stuart Haselden, and other senior executives joined an earnings call with analysts to provide deeper insight into the company’s continued high growth in the Chinese market and share brand-specific performance updates.
Salomon and Wilson Are Key Growth Drivers; Arc’teryx Sales Have Rebounded
In response to analyst questions about Amer Sports’ accelerated growth in the Chinese Mainland compared to peers’ weaker performance, the management team avoided attributing it solely to market tailwinds. Instead, they emphasized the differentiated positioning of their brand portfolio in segmented categories.
Andrew Page pointed out that the unique growth trajectories of Salomon and Wilson were key drivers and said the third-quarter results laid a solid foundation for the full year.
“Overall, we’re very pleased with our Q3 performance in China. Our brand portfolio aligns with our expected pattern, not solely relying on Arc’teryx, and all three brands performed very well, especially Salomon and Wilson, which saw exceptionally strong growth in the China market. Based on Q3 results, I believe we’ve laid a solid foundation for continued strong growth for the full year in China.”
“All three of our major brands have unique propositions in China that are truly resonating with younger consumers in different segments. We’re in a very distinctive position in this market, and we’re also optimistic about China through 2026.”
James Zheng added further perspective from a platform operations viewpoint, highlighting the differentiated capabilities of the Greater China operational platform.
“We have a strong and differentiated platform in Greater China (namely the DTC direct-to-consumer system), and we will continue to deliver best-in-class results across our three brands through this platform.”
In his opening remarks, Zheng also directly addressed a recent issue, stating, “I’d like to take a moment to address the fireworks incident that occurred in September. We deeply regret the incident and are working closely with local authorities to manage its aftermath. We remain committed to serving our communities and consumers and are taking steps to ensure we do better going forward.”
Stuart Haselden provided additional context: “Sales for Arc’teryx in China were slightly soft at the start of Q4, but with the arrival of colder weather, sales have rebounded. We remain highly confident in the brand equity and positioning of Arc’teryx in consumers’ minds across all markets. Our primary focus is on building connections with our consumers and communities while delivering high-quality products and in-store experiences.”
“This incident has had no impact on our Q4 guidance,” Andrew Page added.
Addressing broader concerns about a potential slowdown in Chinese consumer spending, the management cited early Q4 sales data — including results from the Golden Week and Double 11 periods — as a basis for maintaining their optimistic outlook.
“In Q4, I want to specifically highlight the inclusion of two major events — Golden Week and Double 11. Overall, our performance in both events was quite strong and exceeded our expectations.”
“So I think we are very confident about the China market this year. We’re set to deliver a strong 2025 and remain optimistic about China through 2026.”
Brand-Specific Performance in the Chinese Mainland Market
Financial data shows Amer Sports’ high growth in the Chinese market is jointly supported by its three core business segments:
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Outdoor functional apparel centered around Arc’teryx generated USD 683 million (+31%),
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Mountain sports apparel and gear led by Salomon generated USD 724 million (+36%),
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Ball and racket sports equipment driven by Wilson brought in USD 350 million (+16%).
During the call, the management team detailed operational initiatives for each brand in the Chinese Mainland, focusing mainly on DTC (direct-to-consumer) expansion and store productivity improvements.
— Salomon:
Salomon’s mountain sports apparel and equipment segment saw global DTC channel revenue rise 67% this quarter. In the Chinese Mainland, executives emphasized the profitability of Salomon’s footwear stores and the ongoing implementation of its flagship store strategy.
James Zheng said, “Salomon continues to generate phenomenal brand heat in Greater China and across Asia. We believe we operate the most efficient and profitable footwear stores in the industry in that region.”
Andrew Page disclosed store-related data and site strategy, “This quarter, we had a net addition of 19 Salomon stores in Greater China, including both directly operated and partner stores, bringing our total to 253. By year-end, we expect to reach around 290 Salomon stores in the region, including both company-owned and partner-operated locations.”
“We recently opened a second Salomon flagship store in Shanghai — a 7,300-square-foot premium brand showcase located in the upscale Anfu Road shopping district. This three-story store offers a more immersive experience and has performed very well in its first few months.”
— Arc’teryx:
According to the financial report, Arc’teryx’s global omni-channel comparable sales (omni-comp) growth accelerated to 27%. In the Chinese Mainland, the strategic focus is shifting from merely increasing store numbers to improving store quality, in terms of sales per square foot and brand image.
Andrew Page explained,
“In Greater China, we continue to focus on optimizing Arc’teryx’s retail footprint. This year, we expect a slight net reduction in store count, including some legacy partner locations. However, we’re increasing the number and total retail area of our self-operated stores by opening larger, higher-quality, and higher-capacity locations.“
“One good example is the upgrade of our original flagship at the Shanghai Alpha Center, which is reopening this month after expansion and renovation. Looking ahead to 2026, following years of footprint optimization in the region, we are planning for net store openings for Arc’teryx in China.“
— Wilson:
Wilson saw global revenue grow 16% in the third quarter, with its soft goods (apparel and footwear) segment more than doubling. In the Chinese market, management highlighted the synergy between leveraging local sports stars (e.g. Zheng Qinwen) and promoting urban concept stores.
“Wilson continues to perform very well in China. We plan to open about 35 Wilson Tennis 360 stores in China this year, including both directly operated and partner stores, bringing the total to approximately 80 stores.”
“In Q3, Wilson celebrated the opening of its Brickhouse urban concept store in Wuhan. This store combines the aesthetic of an American tennis club with local Wuhan culture, honoring the hometown of Olympic champion Zheng Qinwen.”
｜Source: Amer Sports Earnings Call
｜Image Credit: Official Website
｜Editor: LeZhi
