Competitive Landscape – Companies
Nike and Adidas have been the unchallenged leaders in the China market for years. This can be explained by (1) their early entrance to the China market, (2) their higher ASPs than major domestic brands, and (3) significantly higher exposure in Tier 1 & 2 cities, where per-capita consumption power is higher than in the rest of China. Their dominating position is also in line with their global market share. [1]
Among domestic companies, Anta is the only local company that has enjoyed a notable market share gain over the past few years, and its position as the leading domestic sportswear company has been further deepened with the help of the Fila brand. Li Ning, once the leader among domestic companies, is still in the recovery stage, after the Company underwent a major management change in 2012-2014. 361 Degrees and Xtep are usually considered second-tier domestic brands. The market share of Xtep, however, has dropped due to its restructuring. [1]
Competitive Landscape – Brands
Generally, since the 2011 downturn, domestic companies have been struggling with various internal problems. The downturn was mainly due to inefficient channel management, leading to excessive inventories at the distributor level. At the same time, foreign companies took more market share by executing precise marketing strategies, offering superior products, and not being too aggressive in pricing. It took domestic companies years to regain their growth momentum, under various reform initiatives such as ramping up product designs, improving inventory monitoring systems and implementing radical changes in their management systems. [1]
Anta is a very rare domestic company that gained market share (in terms of retail sales value) over the past few years. However, Anta gained market share mainly because of Fila, an Italian brand which Anta acquired in 2009. The core Anta brand is also growing, albeit at a slower pace. Li Ning, Xtep and 361 Degrees have been somewhat flat over the past few years, but they are domestic brands that are doing relatively well. For smaller domestic brands, such as Erke and Peak, the market share loss is more serious. [1]
By and large, the market share of top five foreign brands, Nike, Adidas, New Balance, Skechers and Fila, increased rapidly. In contrast, the market share of the top five domestic brands, Anta, Li Ning, Xtep, 361 Degrees and Erke, modestly while other brands losing market shares fast. The market of China sportswear has become more concentrated. [1]
[1] http://www.chinastock.com.hk/ewebeditor/uploadfile/20180709142620143.pdf