How Sports Brands Are Reaching Out to Women in China
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On a freezing Saturday in February, 200 yoga enthusiasts boarded a boat on the Huangpu River in Shanghai. The yoga-on-a-boat event was part of Lululemon’s rollout in China to the delight of local consumers, some of whom have long known the brand and bought it overseas or online. Participants, mostly women, went to the showroom afterward for a shopping spree. The Lululemon founder’s disparaging remarks about women’s bodies, and his subsequent stepping down, had little relevance to these consumers. They were happy to have another brand option.
Their enthusiasm speaks to a larger trend emerging slowly in China: women’s sports. In China, personal empowerment — rather than national pride and Olympic bids — is starting to define people’s involvement in sports. This is particularly true for women.
As Chinese women become more important in the economic and social fabric of society, they are trying running, yoga, tai chi, Zumba, dancing, swimming, archery, golf and team sports like ping-pong, tennis, badminton and volleyball. Interest is rising in equipment-heavy winter sports such as skiing. Savvy female shoppers are switching their attention from the latest Louis Vuitton and Gucci handbags to buying the most fashionable yoga pants and slip-proof headbands. They are paying for gear, classes, coaching and athletic events.
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