Athleisure

[GeneChing]

Lululemon just had one of its best years ever, and it proves athleisure isn't dying anytime soon
Mary Hanbury 3h


Lululemon reported one of its strongest years of growth to date on Wednesday. Facebook/Lululemon

Lululemon reported fourth-quarter and full-year 2018 earnings on Wednesday. CEO Calvin McDonald said this was one of its strongest years to date.

Lululemon's success signals that the athleisure trend has no signs of fading out just yet, and it continues to be a market leader despite increased competition in the market.

New brands such as Outdoor Voices, Hill City, and Bandier have cropped up in the market, offering their own take on athletic wear.

Lululemon is on fire.

The athleisure powerhouse reported strong fourth-quarter and full-year earnings for 2018 after market close on Wednesday, sending its share price soaring.

After adjusting for currency fluctuations, same-store sales were up 17% for the year, making it one of its strongest years to date, CEO Calvin McDonald said in a call with investors on Wednesday afternoon.

Lululemon's success shows that the athleisure trend has no signs of fading out just yet and that it continues to be a market leader despite increased competition in the market.

New brands such as Outdoor Voices, Hill City, and Bandier have cropped up in the market more recently, offering their own take on athletic wear.

Lululemon is not resting on its laurels, however. The store is looking to its menswear business to drive growth and attract new customers.

The company told investors in a recent earnings call that it was on its way to achieving its goal to grow the men's wear category into a $1 billion business by 2020.

Lululemon has also been testing membership plans to keep customers loyal. In December, it announced that it had been testing these programs in Edmonton, Canada, and later, in Denver. For a $128 annual fee, members were treated to a pair of pants or shorts, access to Lululemon's classes and events, and free shipping on online orders.

On Wednesday, the company said it plans to expand this service to additional US cities in 2019.

Would Kung Fu be more marketable if we wore athleisure?

[GeneChing]

I want some Xtep gear. It sounds strangely trendy. But then, I've wanted some Li Ning for years and still have yet to score some.

Chinese sportswear maker Xtep reports 23 per cent jump in profit as acquisitions, expansion pay off
First-half profit jumps to US$65.5 million
Xtep signed NBA basketball star Jeremy Lin as a brand ambassador this month
Louise Moon
Published: 6:31pm, 21 Aug, 2019


Xtep International has signed NBA basketball player Jeremy Lin as its brand ambassador. Photo: Handout

Sportswear maker Xtep International Holdings has joined home-grown rivals in reporting stellar first-half earnings as they benefit from China’s growing sportswear market.
Fujian-based Xtep posted a 23 jump in net profit and revenue for the six months ended June to 463 million yuan (US$65.5 million) and 3.3 billion yuan respectively, according to a filing to the Hong Kong stock exchange on Wednesday.
Rivals 361, Li Ning, and Anta have similarly posted profit gains ranging from nearly 10 per cent to 196 per cent.
Since the start of this year, Xtep – China’s third-largest home-grown sports brand – has gone on a shopping spree for foreign brands. The move, coupled with expansion into different markets and products, has benefited the company.


Ding Shui Po, chairman and CEO of Xtep International Holdings. Photo: Edmond So

In March, Xtep announced a venture with Wolverine World Wide to sell its high-end Merrell hiking boots and Saucony athletic shoes in mainland China, Hong Kong and Macau as it looked to enter tier one cities in China, where top international rivals dominate.
In May, it acquired E-Land Footwear, owner of US shoe brand K-Swiss, for US$260 million.
“2019 is an evolving year to us as the kick-off of multi-brand portfolio signifies another milestone of Xtep,” said Ding Shiu Po, chairman and chief executive of Xtep.


Xtep acquired the US shoe brand K-Swiss for US$260 million in May. Photo: Twitter

He added that aim of the company was to grow into a global sportswear player backed by a multi-brand portfolio.
Boosted by an expanding middle class and government backing, China’s sportswear market size is set to grow 148 per cent from 2019 to 2023, according to data from Euromonitor.
However, international giants Adidas and Nike were still the top sportswear companies in China by market share, but Anta – mainland’s most valuable sportswear brand – and Li Ning, sit just behind in third and fourth place, according to data from Euromonitor. Lower down are Xtep and 361.
Earlier this month, Xtep also made a first push into basketball, signing NBA star Jeremy Lin as an ambassador and breaking away from a sole focus of becoming China’s top running brand. The partnership will include a range of basketball shoes dedicated to Lin.
“We believe, leveraging his reputation, the new products we are going to launch will be well-received by the public. Looking forward, we remain focused on product innovation and enhancing store efficiency to drive organic growth,” said Ding.
Xtep expands its sportswear portfolio into basketball shoes and apparel, signing on star Jeremy Lin as brand spokesman
The company said it will continue to expand overseas in South Asia, Southeast Asia and the Middle East, having opened 82 new stores in China and overseas so far this year.
It is, however, “cautiously optimistic” about the second half of the year amid global economic uncertainties.
Also on Tuesday, 361 Degrees International posted a 9.7 per cent rise in net profit to 367.4 million yuan and a 7.3 per cent gain in revenue to 3.2 billion yuan, after a rebranding to cater to the mass consumer.
Last week, Li Ning, the eponymous brand of former Chinese Olympic gymnast, reported a 196 per cent increase in net profit to 795 million yuan and a 33 per cent rise in revenue to 6.25 billion yuan, driven by a growth in e-commerce.
Lastly Anta reported an expected 25 per cent gain in net profit for the first six months compared to the same period last year, in a filing to the stock exchange at the end of July, and a more than 35 per cent increase in revenue.
Anta too has adopted a multi-brand strategy to become premium with a “global mindset”, chairman and CEO Ding Shizhong said at an earlier press conference in Hong Kong.
The company’s portfolio includes the Italian-South Korean brand Fila, and Descente from Japan.

Woah, they bought out K-Swiss? I had some K-Swiss kicks once. They were alright.

Tempted to make an indie thread about this already, but I'll wait...

[GeneChing]

Simplemost
Kohl’s Is Launching Its Own Athleisure Line

Tricia Goss March 5, 2021 1 Min Read
Athleisure might have been trendy pre-2020, but the pandemic definitely had a hand in the boom of the hybrid clothing style that is made up of comfortable athletic pieces you can wear in other settings. Now, Kohl’s is launching a line that truly offers something for everyone.

FLX, pronounced “flex,” is the retailer’s new line of exclusive activewear and athleisure for men and women, which includes plus and big and tall sizes. The sustainably-made pieces balance style, function, performance and comfort. The brand will include more than 60 styles across men’s and women’s activewear with everything from tops and bottoms to outerwear and accessories. Prices range from $20-$125.


Kohl's
Many of the pieces are available in a wide range of sizes. For instance, the Men’s FLX Dynamic Stretch Joggers come in sizes small through 4XL and cost $60-$80.

The Women’s FLX Woven Dress with Built-In Shorts is available in XS through XXL and runs $65.


Kohl's
The brand also offers an exclusive big and tall collection, with joggers, shorts, T-shirts and jackets, as well as a women’s plus size collection that includes pieces like leggings, jackets, dresses and jumpsuits.


Kohl's
“Kohl’s is excited to introduce FLX, a new specialty athleisure brand, to our brand portfolio as we work to continue strengthening our position as a destination for active and casual apparel,” Kohl’s chief merchandising officer Doug Howe said in a statement. “As customers have been increasingly shopping for a more comfortable and casual lifestyle, Kohl’s identified a plan to more aggressively serve as the most trusted retailer of choice in these categories. With an emphasis on high-quality athleisure, FLX fills a white space in our current private brand portfolio and will be a great answer to these growing consumer trends.”


Kohl's
The designs all use a neutral, earthy palette that allows customers to mix and match pieces with ease. Features such as built-in stretch, compression, UPF and wicking increase comfort and functionality. The initial collection will be comprised of year-round pieces, such as shorts, tees and pants. The store also plans to refresh the brand periodically with seasonal items, such as layering pieces and fleece jackets.

FLX at Kohl’s is currently starting to roll out on kohls.com. The official launch date of the brand is Thursday, March 11.

So athleisure is just stretchy trousers now?

[GeneChing]

Apr 20, 2021,09:03pm EDT|128 views
China Sportswear Billionaires Cut Anta Stake In Sale Nearing $1.5 Billion
Russell Flannery
Forbes Staff
Asia

Pedestrians walk past an Anta Sports Products store in Shanghai last month. Photographer: Qilai ... [+] © 2021 BLOOMBERG FINANCE LP
Only a few years ago, 2021 and 2022 seemed like a particularly promising years for sportswear sales in China. The planned Summer Olympics in Japan were expected to attract viewership in the mainland; next year’s Winter Olympics are scheduled for Beijing and interest in winter sports has been on the rise.

Amid concerns that Japan’s games won’t be held this year and questions whether all countries will turn out for next year’s winter games, the controlling shareholders of China’s biggest sportswear company said in a filing today that would lower their stake in the business.

Anta International, whose owners include billionaire chairman Ding Shizhong and vice chairman Ding Shijia, said they would sell 88 million shares, or about a 3.3% stake in Hong Kong-listed Anta Sports Products, at a price of HK$131.48 a share, generating nearly $1.5 billion. Anta Holdings’ stake will fall to 47.6% after the sale, compared with 50.8% before. The company didn’t give a reason for the sale. Anta Sports closed at HK$142.20 yesterday.

Anta’s shares have gained nearly 80% in the past year as China’s economy recovered from Covid. Shares in local brands such as Anta, Xtep, Li Ning and 361, recently got a further boost after a Nike statement last month expressing concern about alleged forced labor practices in the country’s Xinjiang region generated backlash and boycott calls in China’s social media.

Anta, a 2022 Olympics sponsor, led an investment group that paid $5 billion to purchase Nordic sportswear success Amer Sports in 2019. Amer’s globally well-known brands include Atomic ski equipment, Salomon ski boots and Wilson tennis rackets, among others. Anta’s partners included Tencent, FountainVest Partners and U.S. billionaire Chip Wilson, the founder of Lululemon sports apparel.

At home, Anta has also long used NBA endorsements from the likes of Klay Thompson to help sales. The company was founded in 1991, and went public in Hong Kong in 2007 at HK$5.28 a share, creating a hefty return for early investors.

Ding Shizhong is worth $11 billion on the Forbes Real-Time Billionaires List today; younger brother Ding Shijia is worth $10.8 billion. Mainland China is second only to the United States as home to the world’s largest number of billionaires.

- Follow me @rflannerychina
Russell Flannery
I'm a senior editor and the Shanghai bureau chief of Forbes magazine. Now in my 20th year at Forbes, I compile the Forbes China Rich List. I was previously a correspondent for Bloomberg News in Taipei and Shanghai and for the Asian Wall Street Journal in Taipei. I'm a Massachusetts native, fluent Mandarin speaker, and hold degrees from the University of Vermont and the University of Wisconsin at Madison.

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Athleisure
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[GeneChing]

That’s Hot! Paris Hilton Shares a Sneak Peek at Her New Tracksuit Line
BY CHRISTIAN ALLAIRE
March 16, 2022
Image may contain Sunglasses Accessories Accessory Clothing Apparel Human Person Glasses Sleeve and Plant
Photo: Courtesy of Paris Hilton
If you’re a fan of The Simple Life, you’ll recall that Paris Hilton and Nicole Richie spent much of their time on the reality show rocking Juicy Couture tracksuits in every shade of the rainbow. For instance, in season three, they rode around the nation as interns on a Greyhound bus wearing cozy, colorful sweats in bright pink or green. But Hilton’s love of tracksuits didn’t end in the early-aughts, when the show aired. Since then, she has continued to sport her signature tracksuits, even telling Vogue in 2019 that she still has an entire closet devoted to her Juicy Couture collection. It’s only natural, then, that Hilton is getting into the tracksuit market herself. This week, she announced she’s designing her own line of them, and Vogue has an exclusive sneak peek at the designs.

The decision to design her own assortment of tracksuits—which will be released in June—has been a long time coming. “It’s always been something I’ve been interested in creating,” she tells Vogue. “They’ve been my go-to since before I could remember.” Why is she such a fan of the athleisure look? “They’re comfortable and chic, and can make you feel glamorous while still being super fun and casual,” says Hilton. She’s certainly not wrong. Simply add an It bag or shoe, you have an on-trend Y2K look. “I love pairing my tracksuits with some statement jewelry and heels,” says Hilton. “The right accessories can switch up the whole vibe by dressing it up or down.”


Photo: Courtesy of Paris Hilton
WATCH

While it’s hard to imagine Hilton in a tracksuit that isn’t Juicy, she says her own designs will be unique to her. Expect them to be girly and a tad over-the-top. In new photos of Hilton in the clothes, we get a glimpse at what’s to come. One cropped hoodie, in black and pink, features her catchphrase—“That’s hot”—in rhinestones. Another bright-red tracksuit has star cutouts on the leg. Bold colors will be a through line in the collection. “Pink is one of my favorite colors and I wear it as much as possible, but I spent a lot of time choosing the best colors and shades in the softest velour,” says Hilton.


Photo: Courtesy of Paris Hilton
If you’re looking to get your hands on Hilton’s tracksuits, you’ll have to wait until June, when they will be available on her own website. Select, to-be-announced retailers will start carrying them in September. Prices start at $95 for velour pants, to $115 for the blingy hoodies. Hilton assures that, no matter one’s taste, “there’s a tracksuit style for every occasion.” She considers it worth the investment. “The tracksuit is a forever wardrobe staple because it’s elevated comfort that you can wear anywhere,” she says. “You can wear it while shopping, or at home.” Loves it.

The top pic won't copy. That's the 'hot' one...