Over the past three months, Luxe.CO has observed a growing number of sports and outdoor brands accelerating their expansion into regional markets, including Southwest China, South China, Northeast China, and Hong Kong:
KAILAS and Saucony, both of which have already established mature store networks in the Chinese Mainland, are using their first Hong Kong stores to test their international retail capabilities and lay the groundwork for further expansion across Asia Pacific;
Chinese brands including MAIA ACTIVE and BOSIDENG VERTEX are filling gaps in their retail footprints across regions such as Northeast and East China;
International brands, including Brooks and CRAFT, are rapidly replicating their flagship store models from first-tier cities in Southwest China, building brand awareness in new markets.
From international to Chinese brands, and from deeper penetration into the Chinese Mainland to expansion in Hong Kong, sports and outdoor brands are mapping out an increasingly diverse and expansive retail landscape.
KAILAS and Saucony Enter Hong Kong
— KAILAS
In July, KAILAS opened its first mountaineering concept store in Hong Kong at K11 MUSEA.
Spanning more than 300 square metres, the store is designed around the concept of “mountain exploration”, recreating visual elements inspired by mountains, rock formations, ice and snow. Its product offering covers multiple mountain sports categories, including high-altitude mountaineering, hiking, trail running, and professional equipment.
Hong Kong’s K11 MUSEA is home to a host of luxury brands, including Louis Vuitton, Prada, Cartier, and Rolex. In March this year, KAILAS FUGA opened a new store at Beijing Daxing International Airport next to Louis Vuitton. The opening at K11 MUSEA is widely seen as a continuation of the brand’s premiumisation strategy.
Chen Xiaolong, Senior Director of International Business at KAILAS, said that as an international metropolis, Hong Kong serves as a key hub for the brand to expand its Asia-Pacific retail network and connect with the global mountain sports culture.
As of December 2025, KAILAS operated 390 directly managed stores in the Chinese Mainland.
— Saucony
In June, Saucony, the century-old American running footwear brand owned by Xtep International, unveiled its first Hong Kong flagship store at K11 Art Mall in Tsim Sha Tsui.
Inspired by Saucony’s iconic river logo, the store incorporates elements of Hong Kong’s urban landscape and running culture. It also features a dedicated foot-measurement area equipped with professional foot analysis technology.
Tian Zhong, President of Xtep Group, said that Hong Kong, as an international metropolis, is a strategically important market for the brand and is expected to provide direct access to both local consumers and travellers from the Chinese Mainland and overseas.
Saucony currently operates 170 stores in the Chinese Mainland and expects to open 20 to 30 new stores overall this year. In the second half of the year, it plans to open more image stores in first-tier cities, including Beijing, Shanghai, and Shenzhen, while continuing to seek locations in Hong Kong’s prime commercial districts.
MAIA ACTIVE and BOSIDENG VERTEX Fill Gaps in Their Retail Footprints
— MAIA ACTIVE
In July, MAIA ACTIVE, the women’s activewear brand owned by ANTA Group, opened its first store in Northeast China at Shenyang MixC.
The new store adopts a refreshed quiet-luxury aesthetic, combining natural wood and textured fabrics with Eastern elements such as handpans and singing bowls. The space is divided into three main functional areas for product display, fitting, and relaxation.
ANTA Group acquired a controlling stake in MAIA ACTIVE in October 2023. Over the past three years, MAIA ACTIVE’s offline store network has grown from 36 locations in October 2023 to 57 today, including outlet stores.
MAIA ACTIVE is now targeting the previously untapped Northeast China market for its retail expansion. According to the brand, it also plans to establish a presence in key northeastern cities, including Harbin and Changchun, by the end of the year.
— BOSIDENG VERTEX
In July, BOSIDENG’s premium outdoor line VERTEX opened its first store in East China at HKRI Taikoo Hui in Shanghai. Shortly afterwards, VERTEX opened its first Hangzhou store at Hubin Intime in77.
VERTEX concept stores bring together BOSIDENG’s top-tier product portfolio, systematically addressing niche demand within the premium down jacket market across different cold-weather scenarios, including outdoor, polar, and urban environments.
The store design draws inspiration from the concept of the polar “vertex”, integrating futuristic aesthetics and pioneering urban technology into the space.
The first VERTEX concept store debuted at Shenyang MixC in November 2025, before expanding to cities including Changchun and Dalian.
Brooks and CRAFT Open Their First Stores in Southwest China
— Brooks
In August, century-old American running brand Brooks opened its first store in Southwest China at Chengdu Taikoo Li.
The store’s design is centred on the theme “Running Through Alleys, Beyond Roof Ridges”. A flowing pathway paved with grey bricks evokes the varying widths of traditional alleyways, while the undulating rooflines of western Sichuan architecture are reinterpreted in the store’s overhead structure. Outside the store, Brooks also created a week-long “Wind Alley Station” pop-up space at Taikoo Li’s East Plaza.
Since opening its first store in China at Kerry Parkside in Shanghai in 2024, Brooks has grown its network to 11 stores across Shanghai, Beijing, Shenzhen, Hangzhou, Nanjing, Zhengzhou, Chengdu and Wuhan.
— CRAFT
In July, Swedish all-round endurance sports brand CRAFT opened its first store in Southwest China at Tongde Kunming Plaza.
The store uses a Nordic Scandinavian design language, with technological lines defining an exploratory retail space.
CRAFT unveiled its first flagship store in China at HKRI Taikoo Hui in Shanghai in February this year, before rapidly expanding to cities including Xuzhou, Wuxi, and Hangzhou. The brand plans to open 10 stores nationwide by the end of the year.
| Image Credit: Official Xiaohongshu accounts of the brands and shopping centres
| Editor: Luxeplace
