Sports apparel on the up and up

Demand for premium athletic apparel, footwear and equipment is boosting the growth of sportswear and sporting goods multinational corporations in China.

Recent earnings from On Holding AG, Amer Sports Inc, Asics Corp and Yonex Co show China emerging as a key driver of revenue growth, supported by rising participation in running, racquet sports and outdoor activities.

Swiss running brand On Holding AG delivered one of the strongest first-quarter performances among international sportswear companies. Net sales rose 14.5% from a year earlier to 831.9 million yuan (US$1.04bil), while net income surged 82.2% to 103.3 million yuan.

Asia-Pacific was On’s fastest-growing region, with sales jumping 44.4% and accounting for more than 20% of total revenue for the first time. China recorded high double-digit growth, while apparel penetration reached 30% of local sales, significantly above the company’s global average of about 6%.

The results underscore how premium international brands are increasingly expanding beyond footwear in China, where consumers are showing a growing appetite for higher-margin apparel categories.

Amer Sports, owner of Arc’teryx, Salomon and Wilson, reported even faster growth. First-quarter revenue climbed 32% to US$1.95bil, while operating profit rose 50% to US$321mil. Gross margin expanded 210 basis points to 59.9%.

The company’s technical apparel segment, anchored by Arc’teryx, grew 33% to US$885mil, while its outdoor performance division, which includes Salomon, surged 42%.

Amer’s ball and racquet sports segment, led by Wilson, increased 13%.

Asia-Pacific and China were among the fastest-growing regions across all three divisions.

Arc’teryx’s apparel business posted particularly strong momentum in China, driven by direct-to-consumer sales growth and continued demand for premium outdoor products.

Amer is accelerating its physical retail expansion in the country. The company plans to open 10 to 12 net new Arc’teryx stores in the country this year, after several years focused on upgrading its store fleet.

Management says recent openings have increasingly targeted premium ground-floor locations in major shopping centres, including Shanghai’s Grand Gateway 66.

Salomon is also deepening its presence in China.

The brand opened nine new stores in the country during the first quarter, bringing its network to 302 locations.

Amer now expects to add 45 new Salomon stores in the market this year, citing the availability of more high-quality retail locations and strong demand for apparel and footwear.

The company recently opened a flagship Salomon store in Beijing, featuring expanded space for apparel and accessories.

Wilson, meanwhile, is benefitting from the growing popularity of tennis in the country. The company plans to open about 40 new Wilson tennis stores in China this year after reporting strong performance from existing locations.

China was the fastest-growing market for Amer’s ball and racquet sports division during the quarter.

Meanwhile, Asics reported record annual revenue of 810.9 billion yen (US$5.06bil) for 2025, up 19.5%, while net profit climbed 54.7%.

The Japanese sportswear company says China remains a strategic growth market despite intensifying competition from both international rivals and domestic brands in performance running.

Management says that Asics still commands a relatively modest market share in China, leaving significant room for expansion. The company has increased investments in locally tailored products, including China-exclusive colourways and limited-edition launches, while seeking greater visibility at major running events.

Japanese sporting goods maker Yonex also highlights China as a key growth driver. Revenue rose 18.3% to a record 163.6 billion yen in the fiscal year ended March, while operating profit increased 16.7%.

China led growth in apparel and accessories and contributed to gains across racquets, shuttlecocks, bags and footwear. Yonex credited expanded grassroots marketing programmes and broader product offerings for helping drive demand across its badminton and tennis businesses.

Badminton, which accounts for more than 60% of the Yonex brand sales, continues to benefit from the sport’s enduring popularity across Asia, particularly in China and South-East Asia.

In a separate development, Chinese sportswear maker Anta Sports Products Ltd announced a strategic partnership with domestic motorcycle brand Zxmoto, positioning itself as the latter’s global strategic cooperation brand.

Under the deal unveiled early last month, Anta would support Zxmoto at international racing circuits, including world-class motorcycle events, and debut a co-branded line of athletic footwear and apparel.

The collaboration coincides with Zxmoto’s recent racing triumphs.

In March, the brand claimed both podium positions in the WorldSSP category at the World Superbike Championship Portuguese round, a milestone for a Chinese motorcycle manufacturer in a competition historically dominated by European, US and Japanese brands.

By May, at the Czech round, Zxmoto had secured its fifth championship victory of the season. Anta says that the partnership reflects its broader strategy of bolstering Chinese sports brands and supporting domestic industry growth.

The first co-branded collection draws inspiration from Zxmoto’s championship-winning 820RR bike. Design elements such as the “Champion Red” colour and the winning number “53” are featured prominently across jackets, footwear and apparel.

The Anta partnership signals a growing trend of Chinese brands leveraging each other’s reputations to gain global recognition, underscoring the country’s shift from “Made in China” to “Created in China” narratives in global manufacturing.

The partnership comes as Anta pursues international expansion.

The group recently launched its first direct-operated flagship store in Los Angeles, marking a significant investment in North America.

The move is part of Anta’s broader three-year plan, which includes opening 1,000 stores across South-East Asia, entering Middle Eastern markets and expanding into major international retail channels such as Foot Locker and DSG in North America and Europe.

Despite the marketing push, early consumer feedback has raised questions about the co-branded products’ design.

Zhang Duo, senior editor at Motorcycle magazine, hailed the partnership as a win-win for the two influential Chinese brands.

But he added: “Though the collection leverages Zxmoto’s racing heritage, the apparel lacks the technical design features and fashionable cuts typically expected in motorsport collaborations.”

Zhang made a comparison with co-branded offerings in Formula 1 and says other motorsports markets often feature more refined design execution.

Zxmoto currently partners with more than 40 companies, ranging from domestic giants like Eastroc Beverage, DJI, Midea and Honor, to international suppliers including Pirelli, Shell and SKF. — China Daily/ANN