Selected by Luxe.CO Panel of Jury, the marketing cases of the following 3 brands have been included in this issue’s Luxe.CO Sports & Outdoors Brand Top Case List:
1. American sports brand Vuori
2. Japanese sports equipment manufacturer YONEX
3. Chinese sports headphone brand Shokz
From August 2, 2023, to August 17, 2023, the Luxe.CO Sports and Outdoors Brand section has collected a total of 33 latest developments from 28 sports and outdoor brands/companies in the Chinese market. These updates encompass 15 reports on offline store expansions, 4 reports on brand collaborations, 1 report on product developments, 7 reports on offline events, 1 report on charity events, 4 reports on flash store openings, and 1 report on online developments.
Recommended Cases
1) American sports brand Vuori
Case: First Offline Flash Store in Asia
American sportswear brand Vuori opened its first offline flash store in Asia at Shanghai’s Jing’an Kerry Center. The store is expected to operate for 6 months, and plans to establish a permanent offline store next spring.
Founded in 2015, Vuori infuses West Coast American culture into its brand DNA, striving to create sporty and casual clothing that combines design with comfort. The brand’s founder and CEO, Joe Kudla, focuses on the untapped male sports market, creating sporty leisure products that cater to male needs. In 2018, Vuori introduced women’s wear, which now accounts for half of the store’s merchandise.
In 2019, American venture capital firm Norwest Venture Partners made its initial investment in Vuori, valuing the company at around $200 million. In 2021, Vuori announced a $400 million investment from SoftBank Vision Fund II, a fund under SoftBank, bringing Vuori’s latest valuation to $4 billion.
2) Japanese sports equipment manufacturer YONEX
Case: First Direct Retail Store Nationwide
Japanese sports equipment manufacturer YONEX opened its first nationwide direct retail store at Shanghai’s Huaihai Road Paris Spring. In addition to showcasing the brand’s badminton, tennis, golf, and skiing products, the store also provides personalized customization services.
YONEX was founded by Minoru Yoneyama in 1946, initially engaging in the production and sale of wooden products. In 1957, the company started producing badminton rackets. In 1967, the company changed its name from Yoneyama Factory to Yoneyama Racket. In 1974, Yoneyama Racket was renamed YONEX Sports, officially adopting “YONEX” as its brand name.
3) Chinese sports headphone brand Shokz
Case: Opening Stores at Chengdu IFS, Beijing Chaoyang Joy City, Shanghai Grand Gateway 66, and Chengdu Yintai Center in99
Chinese sports headphone brand Shokz opened brand image stores at Chengdu IFS, Beijing Chaoyang Joy City, Shanghai Grand Gateway 66, and Chengdu Yintai Center in99.
Established in 2011, Shokz uses technological innovation to define sports headphones, attracting more sports enthusiasts to focus on safety, enjoy sports, and enhance performance.
In December 2022, Shokz opened its first global brand flagship store at Shenzhen’s MixC World. This year, the brand continued to expand offline channels. According to data from Luxe.CO Tong, the world’s first real-time dynamic fashion business platform under Glamour Times, Shokz opened 8 stores in Wuhan’s MixC, Hangzhou Kerry Center, Shanghai Pudong Kerry Parkside, and Changchun MixC from January to July.
Offline Store Expansions
4) – 6) Swiss sports brand On opened stores at Xiamen MixC, Shanghai Global Harbor, and Nanjing Jingfeng Center.
7) – 8) Chinese children’s sports and leisure brand moodytiger opened stores at Xi’an SKP and Shenyang K11.
9) Chinese sports brand Anta opened a new flagship store at Changchun MixC.
10) French outdoor brand SALOMON opened a store at Zhengzhou Zhenghong Plaza.
11) American outdoor sports brand HOKA ONE ONE opened a new store at Beijing Hanguang Department Store.
12) American sports brand Saucony opened its first store in Shanxi at Taiyuan MixC.
13) American sports brand New Balance opened its first running concept store in Hubei at Wuhan Joy City.
14) Chinese outdoor brand Naturehike opened a city experience store at Hangzhou Jinsantian Street.
15) BIEM.L.FDLKK Garment opened its first boutique store in Tianjin at Tianjin MixC.
16) French sports brand Le Coq Sportif unveiled its newly renovated store at Ningbo MixC, showcasing the brand’s new image.
Brand Collaborations
17) Li-Ning collaborated with Chinese streetwear brand PIN SKTBS to release two skateboarding shoe models: SKATE GENERAL_PIN Limited Edition and GOS 2000_PIN Limited Edition.
18) Urban outdoor brand MOUNTAIN FEVER collaborated with Chinese outdoor brand THE FREE SPIRITS to launch a co-branded cool tee, a “Starry 2” double anti-wind and rain three-season tent, and two canopies.
19) American sports brand Nike partnered with Chinese designer Susan Fang to create the first eco-friendly themed playground at Miaojie Town Elementary School in Weishan County, Dali, Yunnan. The playground features elements of butterflies, rainbows, and hearts to convey love and energy in a tangible way, enhancing the colorful world of girls’ sports, allowing them to enjoy sports with joy and comfort.
20) Canadian sports brand lululemon collaborated with psychologist Li Songwei to release a limited edition pocket-sized book titled “100 Love Practices.”
Product Developments
21) To celebrate the reopening of the adidas “Tsim Sha Tsui” flagship store in Hong Kong, German sportswear brand adidas Originals launched a limited mahjong set, producing only 400 sets with individual numbers. Customers who spend over HKD 8,800 at the adidas Tsim Sha Tsui store will receive one.
Offline Events
22) Italian sports brand FILA organized a green hiking and outdoor event themed “Harmony with Nature” at Basong Lake in Tibet, featuring a biodegradable concert. Additionally, FILA collaborated with environmental installation artist Wu Di to create a sustainable art installation titled “Green Heart,” using biodegradable Tencel™ fiber material.
23) Urban cycling brand RE carried out the third annual beer festival at its Beijing Sanlitun, Chaoyang Joy City, Kerry Center, and Raffles City Shanghai stores, featuring cycling parties, afternoon tea, and DIY workshops. The event runs until August 29.
24) American sports brand VANS partnered with Guangzhou creative unit and coffee shop GREEN HOUSE to transform the VANS Metro Mall store in Guangzhou into the GREEN VANS pop-up coffee shop for three months, offering limited edition merchandise.
25) 361° Women’s Training, a category of the brand, collaborated with KULA Yoga to host a yoga event at Aranya Jinshanling, offering yoga experiences to female consumers.
26) Chinese outdoor brand Snowline‘s sustainable project “Once More Use” held an offline event at 3R LABS, a sustainable lifestyle space in Shanghai, where scrap materials from snowsuits were turned into dog windbreakers.
27) Japanese sports brand ASICS hosted a series of events at its Shanghai flagship store, allowing consumers to experience DIY activities.
28) American outdoor clothing brand Patagonia partnered with LOOP Surf to organize a surfing community series of events at Shanghai West Bund Dream Center’s Mirror House, sharing surfing culture from cultural and technical perspectives.
Charity Event
29) British folding bicycle brand BROMPTON participated in an event initiated by Shanghai Roots & Shoots, planting greenery in Inner Mongolia’s Tongliao City Ke’erqin Left Banner.
Flash Store Openings
30) – 31) Japanese sports brand ASICS partnered with running organization LAMFAST RUNNING CLUB (LFRC) to create unique installations and runner experience spaces at THE BOX Chaoyang’s ground floor in Beijing.
Furthermore, ASICS opened a limited-time pop-up store at Guangzhou Parc Central.
32) Chinese outdoor clothing brand ACMEITEM launched a flash store at Wenzhou MEGA Impression City.
Online Expansions
33) British folding bicycle brand BROMPTON opened an official flagship store on Tmall.
| Image Credit: Brands’ official sources, official Weibo/WeChat accounts
| Editor: Elisa
