Skechers China flexes athleisure ambitions
Sportswear firm Skechers China said it's opening more large format retail stores in lower tier cities to target family shoppers and aims to become the country's top athleisure brand in five years.
"The CIIE is a perfect chance for us to present sportswear along with other big multinational companies and learn market trends," Willie Tan, CEO of Skechers China, South Korea and Southeast Asia, said in an interview with Shanghai Daily.
It plans eight more new super store openings in the rest of this year, to bring the total number of super stores to 108.
“We want product offerings to cover all age ranges and demands with moderate price and multi-function," he added.
Skechers China sales surged 23.9 percent in the third quarter this year, as opposed to four percent decline on a global level.
"Our marketing and promotional activities proved to be effective which contributed to our quick rebound after the pandemic lockdown was lifted," he said.
It will also put into use a 1-billion-yuan (US$150 million) logistics facility in Taicang in neighboring Jiangsu Province early next year to better serve shoppers' delivery demand.
"For stores in first and second tier cities we plan to fully leverage technology to present more categories including kids footwear, walking shoes and leisure apparels," he noted.
