Alo Yoga makes China debut amid rising competition

Activewear brand Alo Yoga has entered the Chinese market through Alibaba Group Holding Ltd's Tmall platform, increasing competition in the rapidly growing field of premium activewear in the country.

The Los Angeles-based brand opened its official Tmall flagship store on Wednesday, attracting about 226,000 followers on its first day of sales.

The store began collecting final payments for pre-orders, with transaction value surpassing 10 million yuan ($1.48 million) within one minute, setting a record for opening-day sales by a new brand in the platform's sports and outdoor category, according to Tmall.

Alo's initial performance suggests Chinese consumers may be embracing the brand as much for fashion and lifestyle wear as for traditional yoga apparel. Its best-selling product was the women's "suit up" straight-leg trousers, priced at 1,150 yuan, with the Tmall page showing more than 10,000 units sold. Its derby-style sneakers, priced at 1,750 yuan, sold more than 3,000 pairs.

The sales mix indicates that higher-priced apparel and footwear were among the main drivers of the launch. The products were also sold at full price, according to the Tmall storefront.

The online push comes as Alo takes a measured approach to physical retail in China. Its first physical store in the market is expected to open soon at the K11 Musea shopping mall in Hong Kong.

The company's entry comes as global activewear brands step up efforts to capture Chinese consumers, particularly as demand expands beyond performance sportswear into fashion-oriented athleisure.

Vuori, another California-based premium activewear brand, is accelerating its China expansion. The company currently operates eight stores in the country and plans to increase that number to 20 by the end of 2027.

NikeSKIMS is also preparing for a retail push, with construction hoardings now visible at Shanghai's HKRI Taikoo Hui for what is expected to be its first Chinese mainland location.

The expansion comes as China's sports-inspired clothing market continues to grow. According to Euromonitor International, retail sales of sports-inspired clothing — including non-performance and outdoor products from sports brands such as Puma and Adidas Originals, as well as sports-inspired products from general apparel retailers — are projected to rise from $90.64 billion in 2023 to $104.89 billion in 2030.

Lululemon, which entered China in 2016, remains a leading international player, having built a sizable store network and consumer community over the past decade. The company reported first-quarter revenue of $2.5 billion, while revenue from the Chinese mainland rose 30 percent from a year earlier.

On its earnings call, Lululemon executives described the China market as vibrant, citing continued investment in brand awareness, athletic performance and community events.

Cheng Weixiong, a fashion-industry analyst, said: "Alo has built its global profile around fashion, celebrity-driven exposure and social-media marketing. That positioning could help it attract younger Chinese consumers, but the brand faces questions over whether it can develop the technical product credentials and functional innovation needed to retain core yoga and fitness customers."

Cheng also said Alo is unlikely to significantly challenge Lululemon in the near term, given the latter's established brand recognition and broad, expanding physical retail network in China.

Competition is also increasing from domestic brands. For example, Chinese label Maia Active, owned by Anta Sports, has gained traction with products designed specifically for Asian body shapes.

wangzhuoqiong@chinadaily.com.cn