ADI And Nike Compete For Women'S Stores Selling "Social Platforms".

Those who know the Chinese market most probably are not Chinese but foreigners.

In December 1st, Adidas announced that two women's stores will be opened in Chengdu at the end of December. In October of this year, Adidas opened its first female store in Beijing.

"Crab eating" is more than Adidas.

In November 29th, China's first and second Nike women's experience stores opened in Shanghai's iAPM.

Setting up a women's store seems like a whim. In fact, only a wily old man can have such a shot.

Women's needs are ignored

Over the past few years, the domestic sporting goods market has been everywhere, including local brands such as Li Ning Co. The number of outlets is over 1000, with oversupply of products and high inventory. Sporting goods companies' performance has returned to the market a few years ago.

The independent observer of the market, Ma Gang, told the first financial daily that the surplus of sports goods market in China is a structural surplus, which is an oversupply of men's sporting goods.

In traditional stores, male and female products are displayed in the same store. In the general sports shops, about seven or eight of the consumers are men, and the types and styles of women's products often account for only 30%~35% of the total.

The demand for male consumers is basically satisfied, but many of the needs of female consumers are ignored.

Neglected demand means market opportunities.

Data from Frost & Sullivan show that in 2013, the added value of China's sports products industry exceeded 200 billion yuan, while the annual sales revenue of women's products business maintained two digit growth in recent years, leading to other sub sectors.

Wang Xin, general manager of Frost & Sullivan global partnership and China region, told our reporter: "in recent years, more and more Chinese women have joined the ranks of sports and fitness. Women's consumer groups have become the potential users of the sports products market in China. The market for women's sports products has shown tremendous growth.

With the steady growth of China's overall sports products market, the market segmentation of women's sports products has become one of the important development opportunities for sporting goods companies in the future.

Adidas also confirmed the external analysts' judgement of the potential of Chinese women sporting goods market. In reply to our reporter, Adidas said: "women's clothing category is one of our fastest growing categories, and we see great potential for growth.

Since the launch of our women's product marketing campaign in 2013, we have seen a strong growth in sales of women's clothing products, and also significantly enhanced the brand awareness of our target consumer groups.

Local brands' opportunities for women's market are not completely ignored.

3~4 years ago, Li Ning Co's "Inner Shine" (listening to the inner voice) featuring Lin Chiling as the leading actor was often seen in Shanghai subway stations, pushing women's fitness products.

But how to do retail, let women get in and stay, local brands may be pushed away by a multinational company.

Women's stores run by multinational companies are not only places to sell products, but also places for women to socialize.

Zhang Qing, founder of Beijing key Road Sports Consulting Co. Ltd., said that the multinational women's stores have multiple attributes. They want to be the gathering place and exchange place for female sports fans, and eventually become the social platform for female consumers. If this goal is achieved, the target consumers will have strong consumer stickiness.

Reply: "Chinese women regard fitness and sports as a social activity. They enjoy having classes with their friends or going to the gym.

Not only that, they usually turn exercise and sports into a part of large social networking.

They may have a cup of coffee after yoga class, maybe they will have brunch after their workout.

Therefore, female consumers are looking for fitness products and clothing that can maximize athletic performance and wear other social activities.

Nike provides digital community services at the women's experience store in Shanghai. The interactive digital screens in the store provide exclusive service consultation and new product recommendation. You can also inquire about monthly activities, Nike+ Run Club and Nike+ Training Club course information, shop elite coaches, and recommended running routes.

Similar to Nike, Adidas's thinking of Chinese owners also have, but unfortunately not in sports goods circles.

Wang Liangxing, chief executive of Lon Lang, told our reporter that clothing should become a part of life style in the future. Besides clothes, there should be coffee, ceramics, lamps, vases and all kinds of artworks in the future clothing stores. Consumers can enjoy their shopping experience gradually.

The original stores and retail can be used as a social platform to do, which is almost enlightening for local sports brands.

In the past few years, local sports brands are almost all wholesale business models of "CCTV advertising + ordering society", with the same business models and similar products, and the whole industry has been declining across the board.

Adidas has opened three women's stores, which are run by Adidas itself. Zhang Qing said that this mode can not blossom everywhere, and local brands still do not have the strength to follow suit.

Independent women's stores require stores to have enough products and styles. Ma Gang said that a woman's store with 100 square meters should have about 100 products.

Secondly, in the first tier cities such as North Shanghai and Guangzhou, opening up female stores, taking into account the cost of rents and other costs, to be sustainable, the Ping efficiency must be high, Zhang Qing said, from the rate of increase, the retail price of local brands is about 3 times the cost price, but the pnational brand reaches 6 times.

Zhang Qing believes that local brands may not be able to open women's stores in first tier cities, but the cost of the two or three tier cities is relatively low and can be tried.

In addition, for local brands, women's sports products and services are further refined, which is easier and more feasible than the pformation of channels.

Zhang Qing said that compared with men, most women are running light sports, and have unique requirements for the materials and styles of sports goods.

Nike, a special edition of Nike Tight of the Moment x Jordan Sneaker Tight, opened in the new women's experience store in Shanghai, deals with the hand drawn sketches of Air Jordan Air in an artistic way to cater to the needs of female consumers.