In March, Lululemon announced a global net revenue of $9.6 billion for the fiscal year 2023 — representing a 19% rise year-on-year. Meanwhile, Nike saw revenue of $12.4 billion in the first quarter of the 2024 fiscal year. 

While overall net profit decreased by 5%, the American sportswear retailer cited a 6% increase year-on-year in the Greater China region, with revenue reaching $2.08 billion. Chinese consumers continue to jump aboard new sports and wellness trends.

According to the estimation from China’s General Administration of Sport, the total value of the outdoor sports industry will exceed 3 trillion RMB (Approx. US$418) by 2025. There were already over 400 million participants in outdoor sports nationwide by the end of 2021.

‍GenZ and Millennials contribute to 85.6% of outdoor sports in 2022. Brands like Lululemon and Nike have successfully responded to this trend via a series of local activations either with celebrities or through cultural moments, like Chinese New Year.

‍Lululemon launched “Be Spring” in early 2024 to celebrate the Year of the Dragon. The short film featured Academy Award winner Michelle Yeoh and the theatrical dancers of “Wing Chun” to explore the concept of well-being, inviting audiences to find eternal spring in our daily lives.

Nike launched a Y2K-styled campaign to promote its retro Zoom Vomero 5 running shoes. The key message of the campaign is “Whatever makes you comfortable”, which has reached 1.94 million views on Weibo, the Chinese version of X. The campaign encourages GenZ to make themselves a priority, and not to care what others tell them to do.

Tapping into consumers’ sports and wellness aspirations are promising perspective for brands looking to grow in the Chinese market.  We highly recommend brands to be aware of the cultural resonance that GenZ and millennials prefer on sports and wellness sectors, and the significance of creating emotional connections with younger consumers through compelling narratives and shared values.