Using fashionable and trendy appearances as a selling point has become a major breakthrough for local outdoor brands to tap into the market. More and more outdoor brands are leaning toward becoming "trendy brands." Does this approach of attracting the attention of young consumers have long-term viability?
The outdoor industry is expanding at a growth rate of 40%
According to data from the organizing committee of ISPO BEIJING 2013, China's outdoor sports industry had reached nearly 11 billion yuan by 2011 and has been growing at an annual rate of over 40%, with more than 700 brands active in the Chinese outdoor goods market. This shows that the outdoor sports industry has become one of the retail segments with the fastest growth rates.
With high profits at stake, who doesn’t want a piece of the pie? Domestic traditional sportswear brands are also not staying on the sidelines. From opening its first Li-Ning Adventure store last year to making an appearance at ISPO this year, Li-Ning’s path into the outdoor market is becoming increasingly clear. Adidas made a splash at the ISPO exhibition with a 200-square-meter booth, showcasing multiple outdoor product lines. As traditional sportswear brands flood into the outdoor exhibition halls, they find that in addition to international professional outdoor brands, there will be a new group of dark horses dressed in "foreign attire" joining the competition.
Local outdoor brands leverage foreign design to play the fashion card
In China, the target group for outdoor products is men aged 26–35 — the post-80s generation — who enjoy novelty and change. This is also the reason why outdoor trendy brands have emerged.
HASKI, a rising outdoor brand registered in China and led by a Korean design team, just opened its first store in Beijing in January. A relevant person in charge of the brand stated that HASKI and the outdoor brand Jack Wolfskin both belong to the Shanghai United Asia Group. The brand’s specially designed slim-fit down jackets for fashionable women were prominently displayed at the booth, with fashion and functionality being the brand’s biggest selling points.
Similarly emphasizing design is Jihua Outdoor, whose newly launched series was developed in collaboration with an Italian fashion team. This team is primarily engaged in the design and production of products. A head of the marketing department said, “Collaborating with the Italian design team has made the brand’s positioning more business-casual, and in the future, we aim to develop toward the luxury end of outdoor apparel.”
Vague positioning requires vigilance against becoming outdoor “fast fashion”
At this edition of the ISPO exhibition, there were many local outdoor brands draped in “foreign design,” and their first impression was a break from the traditional loose silhouettes of outdoor gear.
A person engaged in the agency of international outdoor brands said that leveraging foreign design to blend fashion and professionalism is a vague positioning. Such brands mostly target younger customers, but the rapidly changing aesthetic tastes of this consumer group pose a challenge for these brands.
Lin Yifan, director of the Zhengjian Brand Research Center, believes that utilizing foreign design resources and emphasizing personalization on the basis of professionalism is an opportunity for domestic outdoor brands. However, while highlighting design, it is also necessary to emphasize professionalism and functionality, which are the core of outdoor products. If appearance outweighs function, it can only attract a small segment of entry-level non-professional consumers. The brand positioning will resemble “fast fashion,” which is difficult to maintain long-term viability in the outdoor products market where professionalism speaks volumes.