British Media: Anta, the Chinese sportswear brand challenging Nike and Adidas.
Anta's founder Ding Shizhong ventured to Beijing in the late 1980s with 600 pairs of shoes, starting as a contract manufacturer and gradually growing into a sports giant with over 10,000 stores. It went public on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange in 2007, setting a record for fundraising among Chinese sports companies. Anta achieved globalization through acquisitions: it acquired Fila’s China operations in 2009, gained control of Finnish Amer Sports in 2019, acquiring brands such as Arc'teryx and Salomon, and recently acquired a 29% stake in Puma.
In February 2025, Anta opened its first flagship store in Beverly Hills, Los Angeles, officially entering the Western market. Its rise coincides with challenges faced by Nike and Adidas due to tariff pressures and slowing consumption in China. However, Anta still confronts Western consumers’ stereotypical perceptions of Chinese brands as “cheap and low-quality,” along with geopolitical risks, and has even faced controversy over its brand ambassadors.
Original article: toutiao.com/article/1863638216633351/
Disclaimer: The views expressed in this article are solely those of the author.