Luxe.CO has observed that in recent months, sports and outdoor brands have been accelerating their store concept upgrades in the Chinese Mainland, with a greater focus on specialized and segmented scenarios:
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UNDER ARMOUR OUTDOOR has opened its first flagship store in the Chinese Mainland at Dongtaili in Shanghai’s Xintiandi area.
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SALOMON has launched its modern outdoor lifestyle concept store, “Fujun,” in the Anfu Road neighborhood of Shanghai.
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Xtep opened its first Gold Label category store dedicated to marathon scenarios at SM City Plaza in Xiamen, and also debuted its first Gold Label pop-up store at SEG Plaza in Xi’an.
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NIKE created a trail running experience space for its outdoor sub-label Nike ACG inside its Taikoo Li Sanlitun store in Beijing.
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MIZUNO SPORTSTYLE opened its first store in the Chinese Mainland at MixC World in Shenzhen.
This latest wave of store openings reveals key trends: sports brands are either doubling down on their niche expertise (such as marathons) or actively crossing over into outdoor and fashion-forward spaces. Meanwhile, outdoor brands are expanding into more inclusive lifestyle and trend-driven concepts.
Differentiated store storytelling has become a key focal point, with brand history and local neighborhood culture increasingly serving as sources of inspiration for retail space design.
In-store product offerings and experiences are also central to this new wave of upgrades—more complete product assortments, including previously hard-to-find international selections, and more immersive, engaging customer experiences. These developments reflect brands’ deeper commitment to the Chinese market and their greater operational precision.
Expanding Across Diverse Categories, With a Strong Focus on Outdoor
With outdoor sports continuing to gain traction, outdoor categories have become a key growth area for many traditional sports brands looking to unlock new market potential.
Under Armour launched its outdoor series in July last year, focusing on superior waterproofing, breathability, and warmth to meet the needs of complex outdoor environments, while also incorporating a fashionable design.
Since its debut, UNDER ARMOUR OUTDOOR has expanded rapidly, entering premium shopping centers and core commercial districts in 22 provinces and municipalities, including opening standalone stores at Shanghai Grand Gateway 66, Hangzhou MixC, and Shenzhen One Avenue, as well as launching its first member experience store at Dongchao Art Park in Hangzhou.
In September, Under Armour Outdoor opened its first flagship store in the Chinese Mainland at Dongtaili in Shanghai’s Xintiandi.
Under Armour Outdoor Shanghai Flagship Store
Xtep is actively focusing on a running strategy, particularly by strengthening its positioning within marathon scenarios.
Since the beginning of this year, Xtep has partnered with 27 marathon and road running events across China, including sponsorships of nine Platinum and Gold Label marathons, making it the brand with the most marathon sponsorships in the country.
In August, Xtep opened its first Gold Label category store focused on marathon scenarios at SM City Plaza in Xiamen. In October, it launched its first themed pop-up store at SEG Plaza in Xi’an.
Xtep’s Gold Label concept store is built around the core idea of “World-Class Running Shoes, Made by China’s Xtep.” The store creates an immersive experience deeply rooted in professional running culture, including a “Victory Moment” sculpture showcasing brand ambassador He Jie’s championship-winning moment in a marathon.
Xtep Gold Label Pop-Up Store at SEG Plaza, Xi’an
Nike is also ambitiously expanding into the outdoor sector. Last year, the company relaunched its trail and hiking-focused sub-label Nike ACG, appointing Dong Wei, Chairman and CEO of Nike Greater China, as the global CEO of Nike ACG.
Nike already has a foundation in the outdoor space—Nike ACG was originally launched in 1991, although over time it became more associated with street-style performance fashion than serious outdoor gear.
The rebooted Nike ACG is now targeting the brand’s core strength in footwear, particularly in the high-performance trail running shoe segment.
During the Chongli 168 Trail Race in July, Nike ACG created a dedicated trail running experience space at its flagship store in Taikoo Li Sanlitun, Beijing. The space, along with outdoor advertising, highlighted three Chongli-specific trail narratives: Unpredictable Weather, Ultra Long Distances, and High Altitudes.
Nike Brand Experience Store in Beijing
Salomon, which began with trail running, has also rapidly expanded in China in recent years, serving as a key example of the outdoor boom.
For mainstream sports brands that do not originate from the outdoor space, the current outdoor market in the Chinese Mainland presents both opportunities and challenges. These brands must find their positioning among established traditional outdoor giants and emerging new outdoor players.
Blurring Boundaries Between Urban and Outdoor: Balancing Performance and Trend
Fashion-forward and trend-driven strategies have become key tools for many sports brands aiming to expand their customer base, build cultural symbols, and elevate brand image.
The boundary between city life and the outdoors is increasingly blurred. The “urban outdoor” style is especially popular among young consumers, and the trend toward fashionization among sports brands shows no signs of slowing down.
Unlike Under Armour and Xtep, which are expanding into outdoor categories, Salomon and Mizuno are emphasizing lifestyle and fashion-forward attributes.
In August, Salomon opened its “Fujun” concept store—a white villa known as “Xiaobailou”—in Shanghai’s Anfu Road neighborhood. Inspired by Salomon’s first-ever global outdoor fashion boutique in the Marais district of Paris last year, Fujun brings French street culture and avant-garde sensibilities to China.
Salomon Xiaobailou “Fujun”
According to the brand, Fujun centers on the idea of a “modern outdoor lifestyle,” and aims to “explore new possibilities for outdoor fashion lifestyles” while further reinforcing Salomo’s trend-forward image.
The store features top-tier Salomon Sportstyle products, along with selections from the brand’s Performance line of professional outdoor gear, creating a differentiated product offering that combines trend-driven design, aesthetics, and functional performance.
On the morning of its grand opening, Fujun recreated Salomon’s “Road to the Future” concept runway show that debuted during Paris Men’s Fashion Week in July.
In September, Mizuno opened its first MIZUNO SPORTSTYLE store in the Chinese Mainland at Shenzhen MixC World.
Established in 2016, MIZUNO SPORTSTYLE is the brand’s fashion line, blending Mizuno’s classic sports DNA with modern fashion and streetwear influences.
MIZUNO SPORTSTYLE Store at Shenzhen MixC World
MIZUNO SPORTSTYLE entered the Hong Kong market in 2019 and, in 2023, opened its first global flagship store on Paterson Street in Causeway Bay.
Its second store in the Chinese Mainland has already opened at Grandview Mall in Guangzhou.
These store locations—situated in trendy fashion districts—reflect the brands’ strategic efforts to project a dynamic image and engage with younger, style-conscious consumers. For example, Anfu Road in Shanghai is known as the “street style capital of the universe” and serves as a test ground for first-store launches by both global and domestic fashion brands.
Localization Takes Priority: In-Tune With Local Lifestyles
These newly upgraded, segmented-concept stores are largely the result of brands’ deep insights into the lifestyle needs of Chinese consumers, tailored specifically for the Chinese market.
For instance, Under Armour has stated that its outdoor line is a key component of the brand’s localization strategy in China. Simon Pestridge, Senior Vice President and Managing Director of Under Armour Asia Pacific and General Manager of Greater China, said, “The passion and demand from Chinese consumers for outdoor sports is what’s driving our entry into this category.”
Since its launch a year ago, Under Armour Outdoor has made a number of localized investments in China, including appointing Zhang Zhenyue and Nicholas Tse as brand experience officers and ambassadors, sponsoring local races such as the Xiongguan 330 Great Wall (Chicheng) Trail Race, and signing Chinese trail running athletes.
Notably, Under Armour Outdoor’s business entity is not a subsidiary of Under Armour China, but rather operated through a Chinese outdoor goods company as its agent.
Salomon, meanwhile, has drawn inspiration from Chinese local culture to craft unique store narratives.
Fujun, the Salomon Xiaobailou store, was developed specifically for the Chinese market, and its name pays tribute to Anfu Road. The store is housed in a century-old French-style villa, integrating Salomon’s distinctive French outdoor fashion sensibilities into the context of Shanghai’s urban culture.
The 479-square-meter, three-floor space features a minimalist black-and-white aesthetic and avant-garde design language, divided into three themed zones: Le Salon (Entrance), La Galerie (Main Hall), and L’atelier (Studio).
One standout feature of Fujun is its immersive engagement with local neighborhood culture through a series of store-led community events.
Prior to opening, Salomon launched a neighborhood runway show inspired by its “Salomon Girl” theme. The brand also collaborated with 11 local specialty stores—including boutique coffee brand SHIMMER, luxury florist Absolute, vinyl and music culture label fRUITYSHOP, local eateries such as Shanxi Xiansuo and Ala Huntun—to create a neighborhood check-in campaign that connected organically with everyday urban life around Anfu Road.
SALOMON GO Trail Running Community Event on Anfu Road
In May, adidas also opened a global adidas Originals flagship store on Anfu Road—making it the first international sports brand to enter the area at that time.
This store reflects adidas’s “Created in China, for China” strategy.
The location was formerly the Yongle Palace Cinema, and its design draws inspiration from that history, with a central stage area and four themed “theaters” throughout the space. It also features a personalization zone offering city-themed T-shirt printing and custom shoe accessories.
At launch, adidas globally debuted a pet lifestyle product line designed by its Shanghai Creative Center, which marked its 20th anniversary this year.
As these sports and outdoor brands enter iconic lifestyle neighborhoods, their innovative store formats and immersive experiences are also helping to energize and revitalize local street-level commerce.
adidas Originals Global Flagship Store
Richer In-Store Experiences and More Complete, High-End Product Assortments
These upgraded stores offer increasingly diverse and immersive experiences—designed either to integrate into all aspects of consumers’ lifestyles or to vividly present the brand’s DNA and heritage through curated storytelling.
At Under Armour Outdoor’s flagship store in Dongtaili, Xintiandi, Shanghai, the focus is on delivering a comprehensive outdoor lifestyle experience. The store is divided into three main functional zones: a camping café and leisure area, a professional outdoor gear section, and a light outdoor gear area. The overall layout is built around the concept of a “48-Hour Light Adventure.”
Under Armour Outdoor Shanghai Flagship Store
According to Under Armour, “The opening of our flagship store at Dongtaili in Shanghai marks a new stage for Under Armour Outdoor’s development in China—shifting from scale expansion to deepening the consumer experience.”
Back in March, Under Armour Outdoor also opened an 800-square-meter standalone member experience store at Dongchao Art Park in Hangzhou, designed around the same goal of “enhancing consumer engagement.” The space features a performance technology showcase zone, a member interaction lounge, and a camping-themed café bar.
In contrast, the first MIZUNO SPORTSTYLE store in the Chinese Mainland at Shenzhen MixC World and Salomon’s Xiaobailou “Fujun” store focus on showcasing the brands’ craftsmanship and heritage.
The design concept of Mizuno’s Shenzhen store draws inspiration from a factory in Osaka, Japan, that specializes in producing Mizuno jersey stamps—highlighting the brand’s artisanal roots.
The space emphasizes a balance between visual storytelling and product presentation. Footwear displays are arranged on a structured, orderly background wall, using layered compositions to magnify the design aesthetics and athletic heritage emphasized by Sportstyle.
MIZUNO SPORTSTYLE Store at Shenzhen MixC World
At Salomon’s Xiaobailou “Fujun” store, an exclusive retrospective wall showcases the brand’s history of collaborations. The display is regularly updated to reflect seasonal events and highlight key product stories, presented in a curated format to celebrate the brand’s culture and legacy.
On the product side, these stores offer a significantly more comprehensive and premium selection, including trend-forward items that were previously rare in the Chinese market.
For example, Under Armour Outdoor’s Shanghai flagship store fully showcases its three major product lines:
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The Extreme Expedition Series, a high-end technical line designed for extreme outdoor environments;
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The Boundaryless Trek Series, tailored for urban and near-wilderness outdoor needs;
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The Natural Evolution Series, combining cutting-edge technology with stylish, functional design—providing full-scene solutions for various outdoor scenarios.
At Mizuno’s Shenzhen store, both Japanese and Asia-exclusive footwear lines are offered simultaneously. The Japanese lineup includes classic models such as the Wave Rider 10 and Mujin, while the Asia collection features regional favorites like the Adventure V2 and Racer Trail. Together, these two lines create a more complete and diversified Sportstyle offering than previously available in the market.
| Image Credit: Official websites and Weibo accounts of the respective brands
| Editor: Zhu Ruoyu
