Anta, China’s largest sportswear brand, has registered a record high half-year revenue. The brand released a statement on 24 August highlighting the growth in online sales, seeing a 61% increase from 2020 to 2021.
Having defended its first place in sportswear marketing in China nine years in a row since its establishment in 1991, the group hit revenue of 22.8 billion RMB (£2.6 billion) in the first half of 2021. This growth has rocketed Anta to another level, eclipsing the revenue levels of Adidas by 4.5 billion RMB (£500 million).
Anta’s revenue is more than twice as much as that of Li Ning, another Chinese athletics brand that became a byword for Guochao trend after its appearance at New York Fashion Week in 2018, infusing Chinese elements into its stylish sportswear.
With more than 6 billion RMB (£676 million) between January and July, Anta topped the online sales on Tmall. Nike’s China division came second with 5.9 billion RMB (£665 million) and Adidas China placed third with 3.5 billion RMB (£394 million) across H1 of 2021.
FILA, a sportswear manufacturer created in Italy whose operations in China, was acquired by Anta Sports in 2009, also contributed to the growth with a 51.4% increase in revenue compared to the same time last year.
Many have attributed the success of Anta to the strong preference of national brands amid the Guochao movement. The brand had won over Chinese consumers after its 50 million RMB (£5.6 million) donation to support disaster relief in Henan province, the area heavily flooded in July.
Anta has also become the official uniform supplier to the International Olympic Committee (IOC). The agreement, which will last until the end of 2022, sees Anta supply the IOC members and staff with apparel uniforms for a series of Olympic games, including Tokyo 2020 and the 2022 Olympic Winter Games in Beijing.
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