KAILASKAILAS has been closely monitoring external trends while continually analyzing its internal strengths and weaknesses, making strategic choices and trade-offs. It has ultimately defined its10year strategic plan, which is being unveiled to the public for the first time.
According toKAILASMs. Kuang Cuiping, Deputy General Manager of KAILAS, who provided detailed insights on-site, leveraging the rapid development of China’s sports industry and KAILAS’s years of market accumulation,KAILASKAILAS will continue to achieve steady growth.2018year’s business revenue is expected to increase by20%, and the brand anticipates surpassing2022billion yuan in market size during the30Winter Olympics, reaching2027billion yuan in market size by100.
This year, the outdoor retail industry has generally seen slowing profit growth, with some even experiencing declines. KAILASHow has KAILAS managed to achieve counter-cyclical growth and remain confident about the future??
Ms. Kuang explained that it all comes down to focus. For fifteen years,KAILASKAILAS has been dedicated solely to mountaineering and rock climbing, earning an outstanding reputation among professional and niche communities. The outdoor industry is very different from others—outdoor products are primarily tools. Therefore, when choosing an outdoor brand, functionality should be the primary consideration, followed by aesthetics or other factors. That’s whyKAILASKAILAS took a path not chosen by other Chinese brands: it chose not to scale up rapidly or seize the optimal timing for going public, focusing instead solely on making great products. BecauseKAILASthe people at KAILAS are passionate outdoor enthusiasts themselves—they deeply understand how crucial a high-quality product is in the face of the unknown wilderness, for climbing8000meter peaks, for improving a climber’s performance, or for increasing the efficiency of a rescue team. Only those who are truly immersed and passionate can fully appreciate this. Just like our Mr. Zhong,sirwho has endured countless injuries and even ended up in a wheelchair, yet remains unwavering in his dedication to outdoor sports. Many sayKAILASKAILAS is too stubborn, largely because it has a stubborn leader. But it is precisely because of this spirit—this relentless climbing spirit—thatKAILASKAILAS has gained recognition. A niche brand has never truly been niche.
According to statistics from the Outdoor Products Association, the number of brands sold in the Chinese market has reached975of which nearly half are from abroad. Compared to the past, competition in China’s outdoor sports market has become increasingly fierce.KAILASKailas has invested heavily in product R&D, becoming the largest and closest partner of top global outdoor gear material suppliers in China. It strives for excellence in materials, developing the most cutting-edge and frontier technologies. Only by elevating the overall brand quality and possessing industry-leading technology can it meet the demands of increasingly discerning Chinese consumers. Therefore,KAILASKailas swept seven European product design awards in just one year across seven of its products, becoming the biggest global brand winner. The speed at which the Chinese market is maturing is unimaginable. And indeed, many foreign brands that treated China as an entry-level market, bringing second-rate products from their home countries to deceive Chinese consumers—or those that are second-tier in Europe and America yet charge high prices in China—have suffered setbacks. Some have already quietly exited, while others are preparing to do so.
Although the journey is tough, KAILASKailas has always stayed true to its own path.2018In [year], Kailas re-planned its strategy according to industry trends, dividing its products into seven major series:--Extreme Mountaineering, Hiking & Trekking, Rock Climbing,(Air Series,)Trail Running, All-Round Performance, Travel, and Skiing. These seven series are further categorized into three store formats—Climbing Stores, Trail Running Stores, and Travel Stores.
Among them, the Extreme Mountaineering, Hiking & Trekking, and Rock Climbing series within the Climbing Store format will continue to embodythe brand spirit of “Only for Climbing,” leading innovation in outdoor technology and constantly breaking records in lightweight performance. The Trail Running Store series serves the growing high-net-worth population in China’s off-road and mountain running communities, bringingKAILASnew customers to Kailas and expanding its market boundaries. The Travel Store series products are closer to consumers’ everyday outdoor needs, incorporating more fashion elements, comfortable fabrics with outdoor functionality. They are suitable for low-difficulty hiking as well as travel and road trips, bringing more outdoor elements into urban life. This allows more city dwellers to enjoy the convenience and functionality of outdoor gear without leaving the city, even making urban exploration and commuting more enjoyable. The Skiing series is also an important future growth area. With the national investment in winter sports and the strategic goal of getting 300 million people involved in snow and ice activities, the skiing market is set to usher in10a year of dividends.
More importantly,KAILASKailas will upgrade its existing, most popular all-round performance products to meet at least four different outdoor scenarios, turning them into flagship products. The goal is to achieve both word-of-mouth praise and sales success.
Even more revolutionary changes include enhancing the in-store experience at physical retail outlets, integrating online and offline channels, digitizing the supply chain management system, virtualizing store sales, and community-based membership management. These will be fully upgraded in alignment with the three store formats. Each of the three formats will open standalone new stores, with the Trail Running Store series being the19key focus for cultivation in [year], aiming for rapid expansion with an estimated annual store opening target of100[number] units.
Currently, the focus of competition in China’s outdoor gear market has evolved from initial production volume, price, and channel competition to brand competition, and is now moving toward the stage of mindshare competition. The winner will be the one who captures consumers' minds—because to become a strong brand, you must satisfy both functional and emotional needs. Future industry competition will develop in depth toward comprehensive strength.KAILASAdhering to its brand mission of “Committed to Promoting the Development of High-Altitude Mountaineering and Global Rock Climbing,” Kailas continues to innovate and firmly holds its position as theNO.1leading climbing and outdoor brand in China and Asia.