Recently, good news came from RAX, an outdoor brand under Tayah Shoes: this new brand, officially launched in December last year, has seen its online sales double month by month, creating yet another myth in online retail. RAX expects to add over 40 new models for online sales by April.
Similarly, outdoor brands such as Ledon Outdoor, American Lion, and Tianluntian have all accelerated their pace of selling online. After the New Year, American Lion quickly expanded its small e-commerce department and invited a well-known domestic software company to tailor an e-commerce development plan for it.
The industry believes that since the main consumers of outdoor gear are young people—who also make up a large portion of online shoppers—it has become an inevitable trend for outdoor brands to move online. For those trying their hand at online sales, seizing the opportunity early is crucial. To successfully break through, planning online channels and brand marketing have become top priorities for these outdoor brands.
An inevitable trend
Consumers of outdoor gear are mostly young people. Compared to those who work out indoors at gyms, they prefer more exciting and challenging outdoor activities such as hiking, rock climbing, and wilderness expeditions. These individuals are also a major part of the online shopping crowd, making the shift of outdoor products to the internet an inevitable trend.
Faced with the vast sales potential online, RAX resolutely abandoned the offline model and placed the brand’s promotion and sales processes entirely on the internet.
There are many outdoor brands that see promise in internet sales. American Lion, for instance, has long embraced the e-commerce channel. Xu Rongsheng, General Manager of American Lion, stated that this is closely related to young people’s preference for buying outdoor gear online. However, compared to RAX, these brands have not taken such bold steps or placed all their bets on the internet.
“Just like the rise of outdoor sports, e-commerce has become a popular lifestyle. Factors such as smartphone internet access and the security of online transactions have driven the growth of this emerging market. Compared to other industries, the outdoor sports market has not yet seen an absolutely dominant leading brand. Even listed companies like Toread hold relatively limited market shares, mainly concentrated in the offline market, which leaves opportunities for new brands,” analyzed Zhao Lin, General Manager of Xiamen Ruixing E-commerce Co., Ltd.
Sell, but also market
At the recent ordering event for Sevlae, a brand under Ledon Outdoor Group, Sevlae announced loudly that it would launch an official e-commerce platform synchronized with physical stores to meet consumers’ online shopping experiences and personalized needs. Various forms of online marketing such as Weibo marketing, video marketing, and word-of-mouth marketing will also be used to promote the brand. A Sevlae representative stated that the company places greater emphasis on word-of-mouth marketing on e-commerce platforms, focusing on capturing fans’ interests rather than directly boosting sales.
Brand marketing expert Bi Xiaojun believes, “Nowadays, with the high penetration of the internet and changing attitudes among netizens toward online shopping, many brand marketing strategies have shifted from traditional to online methods. They have evolved from relying on traditional mass media and offline events to a combination of online and offline promotions. Of course, the scope of ‘e-commerce’ has also expanded. This involves using the internet for multi-dimensional brand image communication, improving platform service quality and user experience, thereby generating genuine word-of-mouth effects for outdoor brands. Brands like Maibao, Mecox Lane, and Green Box have created well-known internet brands—examples that outdoor brands can learn from,” Bi Xiaojun suggested.
Plan channels first
From 2009 to the present, the internationally renowned outdoor brand HI-TEC has entered the Chinese market through an e-commerce-driven growth curve. According to Zhao Lin, HI-TEC currently ranks among the top three in sales performance on e-commerce platforms such as JD.com, Taobao, and Paipai. This success has stirred ambitions among many in the outdoor brand industry. However, industry experts say that while more and more companies are prioritizing e-commerce development as part of their strategic goals, it is essential to align this with future corporate strategy and carefully consider the channel positioning of e-commerce.
“As a new brand, RAX had a completely blank slate for both online and offline channels, without the need to sort out interests with offline agents, so it could take e-commerce as a key strategic step to penetrate the market. But for Tianluntian, we can’t do it so freely,” said Xu Tengda, General Manager of Quanzhou Fuxin Tianluntian (Fujian) Outdoor Sports Products Co., Ltd.
Therefore, Zhao Lin suggests that before entering e-commerce, outdoor brands must fully consider the market share of their existing channels. In other words, what role does e-commerce play in the company’s overall channel layout? Will it be a major pillar in the future, merely a supplement to offline channels, or a dual-channel approach combining both? Companies need to plan their future layouts in advance based on their own brand development, and must not blindly follow trends.