China Sportswear Industry Market Prospects and Investment Strategy Planning Report, 2013-2017

The well-known international sportswear brands invest more and more money in China’s market, and the domestic sportswear brands have been promoted and have been in a trend to surpass the international brands, so China sportswear market reaches its unprecedented period. Along with the strengthening of modern people’s exercise awareness and the change of consumption concept, the sportswear, which shows youth and vitality, will be favored by people.

China sportswear industry develops very fast. Since 1960s, the sportswear industry has developed from nothing to an industry, which experiences the three stages, with the themes of “culture”, “science-technology”, and “fashion”. It’s gradually formed into an independent industry, and plays an increasing important role in the world’s sportswear industry. When entering the 21st century, China sportswear industry steps into a rapid development period. Promoted by all kinds of sports events, such as Beijing Olympic Games, Guangzhou Asian Games, Shenzhen Universiade, the compound average growth rate of sportswear industry maintains at about 30%. Although China sportswear industry enters in the peak of development period, compared with the developed countries, the per capital expense of sportswear cloth is still lagged behind, but the domestic sportswear market still has the vast space for development. It’s predicted China sportswear industry will still be in the high development situation in the next 4 years. Although it’s hard to maintain about the 30% of the market growth rate, the sportswear market will develop with a high growth rate 0f around 18%.

Generally speaking, sportswear industry is a wonderful domestic industry with the good growth rate. However, there are a large number of brands in the industry, so the competition is extremely fierce. In China sportswear industry market, the State-owned and Foreign-owned enterprises co-exist, and several multinationals of sportswear enterprises occupy most of market shares; the local large-scale sportswear enterprises gradually rise up, which exist side by side with multinationals, and have the tendency to surpass the multinationals; moreover, many local small and medium sportswear enterprises have conquered a place in the vast sportswear market. At present, in China sportswear market, Nike, Adidas, Kappa, Puma and other brands occupy the high-end market of sportswear industry; Lining, Anta and other brands occupy the middle-end market of sportswear industry; and Xtep, Erke, 361°, and other brands occupy the relatively low-end market of sportswear industry. With the changes of people’s demand for sportswear, the market space and profit space of high-end market attract more and more sportswear enterprises’ attention. The market positioning of well-known enterprises are developing toward a higher direction, and the competition of middle and high-end market becomes fiercer and fiercer.

In this fierce market circumstance, sportswear enterprises pay more attention to marketing and channel promotion. Brand construction, event marketing, and sports sponsorship have become necessary marketing strategies for sportswear brand enterprises. Only as to sports sponsorship, the domestic large-brands sponsor 12% -16% of the sales revenue to sports activities. In addition, sports brands have formed their distinctive marketing models, for instance, Nike, Adidas, Lining and other professional sports brands adopt the “Pyramid” brand promotion model. Under this background of competing for market shares, the marketing strategies and marketing channels of sportswear enterprises have become a special view in this industry.

The well-known international sportswear brands invest more and more money in China’s market, and the domestic sportswear brands have been promoted and have been in a trend to surpass the international brands, so China sportswear market reaches its unprecedented period. Along with the strengthening of modern people’s exercise awareness and the change of consumption concept, the sportswear, which shows youth and vitality, will be favored by people. And the sportswear industry develops rapidly; moreover, China has 1.3 billion populations; 40% of them take part in doing exercise; there are thousands of full-time or part-time sportsmen or physical workers; and there are more than 200 million young consumer group in China, therefore, China sportswear consumption market has vast potentials. All in all, the competition of China sportswear market industry has become more and more heated, but the market space is still vast and the industry has the prospects for development.

Qianzhan Business Information Co., Ltd. Industry Research Center
Research Team of Sportswear Industry