Chinese sportswear giant ANTA is set to open its first ANTA-branded retail store in the U.S. market, located in Beverly Hills, California.
According to ANTA’s official overseas account, “ANTA Beverly Hills” is currently in preparation. A video released simultaneously shows ANTA’s Chief Creative Officer and basketball ambassador Kyrie Irving visiting the store location, where large construction barricades have already been erected.
Currently, ANTA primarily distributes its products in the North American market through multi-brand sports retailers such as Dick’s Sporting Goods and Foot Locker. Its products are also available for purchase via ANTA’s U.S. website.
In July 2023, ANTA announced the signing of NBA champion and eight-time All-Star Kyrie Irving. The two parties launched a new business collaboration model, with ANTA creating an exclusive personal product line for Irving and jointly organizing the ANTA-Irving Youth Basketball Camps in both the Chinese Mainland and the United States.
On March 6, 2024, ANTA released its first product for the U.S. market, the Kai 1, Kyrie Irving’s first signature shoe with the brand marking a critical step in its internationalization strategy. ANTA Group CEO Xu Yang stated at the time that the company would hold a series of promotional events in cities such as New York, Los Angeles, Beijing, and Shanghai to showcase its innovation and professionalism to a global audience.
The Kai 1, priced at $125, was released in limited quantities and sold out shortly after launch. On June 5, the day before the NBA Finals, ANTA released a new Playoff Energy colorway (pictured below), which also sold out quickly.
Driven by the Kai 1’s popularity, ANTA became the fastest-growing sneaker brand on resale platform StockX in 2024, with a year-over-year increase of 1,900% in global trading volume for the model.
ANTA’s global expansion strategy also includes establishing a presence in key overseas markets such as Southeast Asia. The company has already launched direct-to-consumer retail operations in Singapore, Malaysia, and the Philippines, and plans to open additional stores in the 2025 fiscal year.
｜Source: Official brand social media accounts, press releases, EqualOcean, Bloomberg
｜Image Credit: Official brand social media accounts
｜Editor: LeZhi
