Chang Zhipeng

57589527@qq.com

U.S. athletic footwear and apparel maker Skechers plans to increase its focus on outlet sales to capitalize on emerging trends and opportunities in the Chinese market.

Willie Tan, CEO of Skechers China, South Korea and Southeast Asia, said at a brand strategy conference held in Dongguan, Guangdong Province last week that Skechers will enhance collaboration with its outlet partners to offer Chinese consumers a wider range of high-quality products and create innovative consumption experiences in the market.

Skechers, which put a 1.35 billion yuan (US$195.4 million) logistics center into operation in Taicang, eastern China’s Jiangsu Province, in August in 2022, aims to raise its store numbers from around 3,000 in 2022 to up to 6,000 in 2026 across China, Tan told China Daily in an interview published in September last year.

Tan said that Chinese consumers’ demand for footwear and clothing products has been changing rapidly and becoming more diversified. “There is no one-size-fits-all solution for designing products in China,” he said.

Since its establishment in 2007, Skechers China, a joint venture between the U.S. firm and Luen Thai Group, has played a crucial role in Skechers’ business development in the world market.

Over the past 16 years, Skechers has made significant infrastructure investments in China, including the establishment of product research and development centers, logistics centers and digital studios. These investments have provided a strong foundation and acted as a driving force for the company’s growth and success in the global market.

In addition to its brick-and-mortar presence of 3,000 stores, the company has also expanded its online sales operations on various e-commerce platforms to cater to the growing demand of Chinese consumers in the digital space.