Anta expects sales boost on new stores

HONG KONG - Anta Sports Products Ltd, China's largest maker of athletic shoes, said sales may grow by at least 15 percent this year as it opens more stores.

"We expect sales growth to be around 15 to 20 percent, and we want to execute our plan even better," Chief Financial Officer Paul Ling said. "We expect net profit to grow even more than the sales growth because we can achieve operating efforts to save some expenses."

Anta, which sponsors China's Olympic Committee as well as women's tennis players Jelena Jankovic and Zheng Jie, is benefiting as Chinese consumers buy more casual shoes and clothing. Retail sales in China rose 17.9 percent in the first quarter from a year earlier.