In The Post Epidemic Era, China'S Fitness And Fashion Craze Is Rising.

In the darkest days after the outbreak of the Chinese epidemic, the streets of big cities in the tens of millions of cities were empty. In late January, China's huge population was left behind at home, just as many countries are doing now. People spend their time online every day. Besides eager to get the latest news about the virus, they are still studying how to fight the virus and spread the secrets of improving immunity and physical fitness.

During the period after the Spring Festival, many of the international brands on China's social media were much quieter. They just released the news that the company donated money to the Red Cross. They just expressed their full support for China's fight against the virus. When readers are trapped in their homes, they do not publish brand related content as they always do. Lululemon, Nike and other global sports apparel brands are quite different. They react quickly and actively to the isolation situation and sell their brands.

It is true that this operation is very common for companies that regard health and fitness as the core brand value, but in the current situation it has increased their attention. In addition to online yoga and fitness, which is specifically designed for small space, Lululemon also promotes mindfulness meditation in physical media. The brand sends the message that it needs to provide consumers with relatively avant-garde services in the rapidly developing China.

"We are helping people care for themselves. In this difficult period, it is the best way to focus on yourself and actively cultivate yourself. "

In the earnings report at the end of March, Lululemon and Nike were very optimistic about their prospects in the Chinese market. China's revenue has declined, but the online sales of both companies are increasing, making up for these losses. Calvin McDonald, chief executive of Lululemon, said China's e-commerce grew by 70% in the fourth quarter.

Lululemon opened its first store in China four years ago, and now has 30 stores in China, and plans to expand its scale. Its market penetration is still very low compared with many hundred or even thousands of stores.

Demand of Chinese consumers

Over the past two months, a large number of reports and analyses published by Chinese luxury consultants, Bain and Feng's business intelligence center have predicted that the prospect of luxury goods industry is particularly bleak after the outbreak of the virus, while the products and categories related to fitness and health are relatively promising. In a report released in mid March, Feng's business intelligence center wrote: "after the outbreak, health concepts will become popular among the public, and the demand for products and services such as sportswear, training clothes, wearable fitness equipment and fitness classes will grow." After more than two months in the shadow of the epidemic, it is not surprising that people are addicted to fitness and related products. This interest is now showing in different ways, although the threat of the new crown virus has weakened.

Chinese consumers are expected to save money, which further enhances the optimism of sportswear companies. According to the research conducted by China luxury consultants, 86% of the surveyed customers intend to "reduce expenditure" this year, because on the one hand, after the outbreak of the virus, China's economy is struggling in the mire, facing a very uncertain prospect. On the other hand, if the global economic spiral decline, it will also drag China down.

After all, for China's 400 million middle class consumers, spending 850 yuan (120 dollars) on a new Lululemon tights is much easier than spending tens of thousands of dollars on luxury handbags.

The epidemic has promoted the development of e-commerce and streaming media, and has also played a strong flame in Chinese fitness. According to the 2018 report of Europe information consulting company, the market value of sports wear in China last year was about $40 billion 600 million. By the end of this year, sports clothing consumption expenditure is expected to exceed that of luxury goods.

According to the company's data, between 2017 and 2018, about 70% of Chinese consumers' spending on sports shoes increased by more than 5%, and about 60% of them wore sports apparel.

Kylie, 31, is a project engineer in the field of automotive automation. She began to enjoy fitness and healthy diet 18 months ago. Now she often recommends F45 to his colleagues and friends. This is a fitness center in Shanghai, where she goes to work almost every day.

"Once I had been ill for a month, I felt the world was gray." I want to change my life. It's not easy, but then I enjoyed it, and I went to the gym every day after work, "said Gao Kylie.

She also became a frenzied consumer of sportswear, especially during the first year of fitness, which means she had to buy smaller size sportswear from time to time.

"Some brands are what I like very much, but basically I only search for my favorite style in Taobao search. In my opinion, design is more important than brand, "she added. Kylie likes to wear colourful, coloured bras and tights, while bright colors make her feel happier in the gym.

She believes that most consumers will not focus on brands, or prefer international brands to domestic brands. In recent years, domestic brands are on the rise. Not only the large sports brands such as Li and Anta are carrying the banner alone.

Competition from Chinese brands

Maia Active (Maya) is a local Chinese sportswear brand based in Shanghai. It focuses on designing clothes that match Asian consumers' body and developing product marketing activities targeted at Chinese women. For the growth of Maia Active over the past three years, Wang Jiayin, the CEO and co founder of the brand, describes the word "explosive". In 2019, sales revenue of Maia Active exceeded 100 million yuan (14 million 170 thousand US dollars), and sales in China's double 11 and 618 e-commerce promotion festivals were very large, ranking among the top brands of sports brands. With 90% of sales coming from e-commerce, and only three stores, the economic shutdown caused by the new crown virus has little effect on its sales. Wang Jiayin, like those of the world's giants, uses streaming media and fitness trainers to teach fitness in small red books, jitter, WeChat and other platforms to keep in touch with the fitness lovers' communities in the home.

The company launched an online event called "14 day challenge", where fans punch cards every day in WeChat group, send photos of fitness and communicate with each other. "Our customers are becoming more healthy and healthy," Wang Jiayin said.

Other Chinese companies are also exploring profits in different ways from the growing demand for health products. For example, city beauty, one of China's largest underwear suppliers, revealed in last month's year-end report that its personal hygiene products will be listed at the end of 2020.

The company's revenue in 2019 dropped by 20% compared to the same period last year. It announced that it would switch to the production of masks and anti bacterial underwear products, including bra, underwear, vest and pajamas. This initiative stimulated the stock price to soar by 20%.

If the brand other than sports apparel is interested in China's growing attention to healthy consumer groups, the practice of urban beauty can be used for reference.

Luxury brands have additional advantages, which can add these products categories at a much lower price than traditional garments or leather products, and further attract the middle class consumers in China.

Perfume and sunglasses have long been regarded as an entry-level product to attract consumers into the luxury world. 2020 may be the year of brand masks.