From swoosh to local: Nike loses ground in China as domestic rivals start to sprint
Nike’s sharp drop in China sales underscores intensifying competition from home-grown brands amid changing consumer tastes
Alex Chen – a Beijing office worker in his late 30s – used to buy his trainers the way plenty of Chinese millennials did: by the swoosh, the stripes and the logo.
As a teenager, he would hunt down Nike and Adidas basketball shoes, pulled in as much by the mythology as the materials. These days, he said, he shops differently.
“I have always been a huge basketball fan of Michael Jordan and Kobe Bryant,” he said. “Back then, I would specifically seek out Nike and Adidas basketball shoes – wearing a pair of Jordan shoes made me feel like I was part of the sports community.
“But now that I’m middle-aged, my priorities have shifted towards more balanced choices. I’m eager to try domestic brands, thanks to their relatively affordable pricing and improvements in quality, durability and comfort.”