Adidas AG will aim at niches such as high fashion and children's wear as it seeks to overtake Nike Inc. in China and become the nation's top sports-apparel brand.
为超越耐克(Nike Inc.)成为中国最大的运动装品牌,阿迪达斯(Adidas AG)将会瞄准高端时装和童装等小众市场。
The German sporting-goods company said Monday that it hopes this year to surpass its estimated 1 billion ($1.3 billion) in 2011 revenue in China, Hong Kong and Taiwan. To reach its goal, the world's second-largest maker of sports goods by revenue, after Nike, plans to home in on segments that rivals don't already dominate.
Bloomberg News2月18日,北京一家阿迪达斯零售店里的顾客。这家德国体育用品公司周一说,它希望今年在中国内地、香港和台湾的收入超过2011年10亿欧元(约合13亿美元)的估计数字。
'China has shown that it is more interested in leisure and fashion than any other country' where Adidas operates, Adidas Chief Executive Herbert Hainer said.
为达到这一目标,阿迪达斯计划瞄准竞争对手还没有占据主导地区的细分市场。按收入计算,阿迪达斯是世界第二大体育用品生产商,仅次于耐克。阿迪达斯首席执行长海纳(Herbert Hainer)说,中国对休闲和时装的兴趣,超过了阿迪达斯有业务的其他任何国家。
The fight for China's sports-apparel buyers has become heated. Nike has become the country's No. 1 sports brand, according to market-research firm Euromonitor, with 7,500 outlets that sell its products across the country. Adidas runs 6,700 retail outlets across China and declined to say how many it plans to open this year.
争夺中国运动服消费者的竞争已经变得十分激烈。据市场研究公司Euromonitor的数据,耐克在全中国有7,500家门店,是中国市场上的头号运动品牌。阿迪达斯在中国有6,700家零售门店,但拒绝透露今年打算新开多少门店。
While track suits and sweatpants are common in China, sports participation is low and consumers are less likely to buy the higher-end products that Western sports-apparel companies sell to aspiring athletes elsewhere.
虽然运动服和运动长裤在中国很常见,但体育运动参与率不高。中国消费者相对来说也较少购买西方运动装企业的较高端产品,这些产品在其他市场一般面向体育迷。
Adidas and U.S.-based Nike aim to boost sales of high-end sports gear.
阿迪斯斯和总部在美国的耐克都有志于提高高端运动装备的销量。
But Adidas also sees growth potential in other arenas. Mr. Hainer said the company this year will boost marketing for the Adidas NEO line, a teen-targeted casual line with striped hooded sweat jackets for about $60, and priced around 40% less than other Adidas brands.
但阿迪达斯在其他领域也看到了增长潜能。海纳说,今年公司将加强阿迪达斯NEO系列的营销。NEO是以一个青少年为目标人群的休闲装系列,条纹连帽衫价格约为60美元,比阿迪达斯其他品牌便宜四成左右。
NEO aims to be a gateway line for consumers with tighter budgets or with shoppers in lower-tier cities, where Mr. Hainer said he sees two-thirds of the company's opportunity. As consumer budgets grow, shoppers will have more access to Adidas's higher-end products, he said. Y-3, the company's premium line, sells fur-trimmed leather trench coats for about $3,100 and tweed three-quarter-sleeved coats for around $2,650.
NEO志在成为一个面向预算较紧的消费者或二三线城市消费者的入门系列。海纳说,他认为公司三分之二的机会都在二三线城市。他说,随着预算的增加,消费者将更有能力购买阿迪达斯的更高端产品。该公司高端系列Y-3的毛边皮风衣售价在3,100美元左右,中袖斜纹呢外套约为2,650美元。
Adidas also plans to expand in children's apparel, a budding market in China, where parents want to buy the best for the one child in the family.
阿迪达斯还计划在童装领域扩张。这在中国是一个方兴未艾的市场,因为父母们都想为家中唯一的孩子买最好的东西。
Adidas operates 500 children's stores across China, selling products such as upscale leather baby bootees for about $215 a pair.
阿迪达斯在整个中国开有500家童装店,销售的产品包括215美元一双的高端皮质童靴。
Market watchers say Adidas might face uphill challenges in pursuing such niches. Fast-fashion brands, such as Zara, owned by Spanish company Inditex SA, and other apparel makers are expanding rapidly across the country.
市场观察者说,阿迪达斯进攻这些小众市场可能会遇到巨大的挑战。西班牙Inditex SA旗下Zara等快速时装品牌和其他服装厂商正在中国高速扩张。美国咨询公司摩立特集团(Monitor Group)合伙人唐士德(Torsten Stocker)说,
'Sports companies have to maintain credible roots in athletic performance to remain differentiated from their 'pure' fashion-brand competitors,' said Torsten Stocker, a partner at U.S.-based consulting firm Monitor Group.
运动装企业要跟作为竞争对手的“纯”时装品牌保持差异化,就必须切实根植于运动服装方面的表现。
Adidas is aware that it has to push further in sports gear as well and will invest in more outdoor outlets to sell hiking and rugged wear to China's more-adventurous consumers.
阿迪达斯知道它也需要在体育用品领域进一步深化。它将投资开设更多的户外装备门店,向中国更具冒险精神的消费者销售登山用品和耐用装备。
Adidas sales in China jumped to 900 million in the first nine months of last year, up 28% from a year earlier, Mr. Hainer said.
海纳说,去年头九个月,阿迪达斯在中国的销售额为9亿欧元,同比猛增28%。