In 2024, Adidas boasted net sales of EUR 3.5 billion in Greater China, a 10% YoY growth (currency-neutral) – a rebound following an alarming 36% YoY revenue drop in 2022. Accounting for around 15% of Adidas’s global revenue, the Chinese market is the third largest after Europe and North America and remains crucial to its global performance. The growth of Adidas in China can be attributed to stronger end-to-end localization compared to foreign brands. The company focuses on China-specific product design by local design teams as opposed to global design calendars. It also positions itself at the forefront of China’s efforts to promote sports and exercise culture, resonating with consumers through partnerships and local activations. As Adidas doubles down on its “In China, For China” strategy, it forecasts double-digit currency-neutral growth in FY 2025.
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The Chinese market remains essential for Adidas’s global success
Adidas first penetrated the Chinese market in the early 80s, establishing connections with Chinese soccer and later partnering with Chinese basketball teams. The brand formed an official subsidiary in 1997, and the 2008 Beijing Olympics marked a turning point in the brand’s rapid expansion within the athleisure market in China.
Moreover, market dynamics make China even more crucial. The growing sportswear market in China provides a key opportunity for the expansion of Adidas in China, as Chinese consumers increasingly prioritize health and wellness both athletically and aesthetically.
Additionally, China’s role as a major manufacturing hub for Adidas products makes the country essential in terms of business. A large portion of the brand’ success can be attributed to its China-specific business model, where Adidas prioritizes selling domestically produced goods. According to Xia Jiale, the Managing Director of Adidas Greater China, 95% of Adidas products sold in China are locally-produced, and 60% are locally designed.
Adidas wins back Chinese consumers through more authentic, end-to-end localization
The downturn in 2022 was in part a result of the Guochao movement. The influence of Guochao is increasingly prevalent in the fashion industry, with unique modern Chinese clothing fusing Western designs with traditional elements of cultural heritage.
In 2023, Adidas enacted its “In China, For China”, deepening its focus on hyper-localization, cultural collaborations, and deeper engagement with the sports market in China. It gave greater autonomy for Greater Chinese designers, enabling the Creation Center Shanghai to respond faster to local trends and give young designers more opportunities to showcase talent through local programs.
Guochao collections resonate domestically and abroad
While the global retro sneaker trend has contributed to sales of models like the Samba and Gazelle in China, the popularity of Adidas in China comes from its “New Chinese” Collections. Adidas rides the Guochao wave by blending traditional Chinese cultural elements with contemporary sportswear featuring its classic three-stripe look.
Notable products include “Tang suit” coats and jackets featuring the pankou knots seen on traditional qipaos, as well as collaborations for the Chinese New Year. Adidas also did a special CNY collaboration with CLOT by Edison Chen, a prominent streetwear brand blending Eastern and Western cultures within its designs. The popularity of “Tang suit” style jackets has even taken root abroad, as international consumers attempt to purchase through resale sites.
Adidas strengthens community engagement through partnerships and activations
Beyond tapping into the Chinese fashion industry through everyday fashion, Adidas is also capitalizing on the growing market for functional, technical athleisure. To gain credibility and visibility in the sports market, Adidas has partnered with individual athletes such as Su Yiming and Pan Zhanle, as well as the national volleyball team. The brand is also repositioning itself as a driver in democratizing access to sports for all. Adidas spearheaded Project Young Phoenix, an initiative supporting the development of women’s soccer in more rural parts of the country.
Adidas has also been leveraging offline activations in ways that connect with the wellness industry in China. In May 2025, Adidas launched a “CLIMACOOL teahouse” pop-up that featured a traditional Chinese tea house theme. The theme tied the relaxed, indulgent feel associated with the Chinese tea market to their “CLIMACOOL” collection launch.
A prominent activation was the “POWER OF THREE” runway show at the 2025 Shanghai Fashion Week, highlighting that Adidas is not simply “operating in China” but “creating in China”. The show celebrated the 20th anniversary of the Creation Center Shanghai, with models showcasing clothing that combined streetwear, Guochao, and high-fashion aesthetics designed by the local team. The featured pieces were then made available for direct purchase via online and in-person retail channels
Adidas expands into the Chinese pet market
In May 2025, Adidas launched a pet-focused fashion line under its Originals label in China. The collection included pet T-shirts, jackets, collars, and matching pieces for owners. The company then followed up with a Fall/Winter collection, featuring windbreakers, padded vests, and tracksuits. The launch also included an in-person “Pet Day” activation in Shanghai, where employees brought their pets for social engagement and a pet fashion show.
This China-exclusive pet line is part of the brand’s localization efforts and an attempt to target the broader pet economy in China. As pet ownership increases within the country for reasons beyond traditional utility, Adidas’s pet collection aligns by positioning pets as part of a consumer’s lifestyle identity.
Adidas in China reborn: a brand with a new China-specific identity
- After suffering a revenue drop in 2022, Adidas revamped its Chinese strategy to be even more culturally relevant and localized through its “In China, For China” strategy. Rebranding efforts were also accompanied by increased autonomy for designers within the region.
- The creation of a China-specific business model is essential for the brand’s success. Adidas’s reliance on China for production has resulted in a domestic ecosystem of the brand mainly selling domestically produced products to Chinese consumers
- Recent success has mainly hinged on incorporating Guochao features into China-specific collections, including Tang-style jackets and traditional designs.
- Adidas has also been increasing visibility through pioneering various grassroots movements and sponsoring prominent athletes, tapping into government efforts at boosting widespread citizen engagement with sports.
- Successful campaigns of Adidas in China are diverse in nature, with some emphasizing aspects of traditional tea culture and others tapping into the high fashion scene in Shanghai.
