Activewear Heads to Shanghai

NikeSKIMS, ALO, and lululemon have opened new spaces in Shanghai one after another. NikeSKIMS unveiled its first offline space in China on September 29, ALO opened its first space in mainland China on October 1, and lululemon also debuted a new store in early October.

Though they entered the Chinese market at the same time, the three brands have chosen different retail strategies. Through their entry approaches, split across luxury retail, wellness, and high-traffic shopping districts, we look at the changes in China's activewear market.

Three Ways of Looking at China

For lululemon, China is an already proven growth market. In 2025, mainland China revenue reached $1.7548 billion, up 28.9% year over year. In Q1 2026, China revenue grew 30%, while Americas revenue fell 3%. The company has said it plans to open most of its new company-operated stores in 2026 in China.

For NikeSKIMS, China is a stage for testing a new market. The joint brand of Nike and SKIMS, launched in 2025, chose Shanghai as its first offline base as it entered China. Its first space in China presents the full collection along with localized alteration services and community programs.

ALO's approach is a bit different. After first opening its online channels in China in August, it unveiled an offline space in Shanghai, connecting digital and physical experiences. Its Zhangyuan space isn't simply a retail store; it brings retail, wellness, and community together in a single format.

All three brands are heading toward China, but lululemon is closer to a stage of expansion, NikeSKIMS to validation, and ALO to conversion.

NikeSKIMS — Choosing a Luxury Retail Cluster

NikeSKIMS's first offline space in China opened at HKRI Taikoo Hui in Shanghai. A pop-up running from September 29 through February 2027, it presents the full collection, including apparel, footwear, and accessories.

What's worth noting here is the location more than the products. HKRI Taikoo Hui is one of Shanghai's leading premium retail complexes, and NikeSKIMS placed its first physical touchpoint in China within the luxury retail environment of a major shopping mall.

The addition of localized alteration services and community programs is another distinctive feature. Rather than a pop-up that simply sells products, it was designed as a space for testing touchpoints with Chinese female consumers.

In particular, the five-month operating period leaves room to view this space as a testbed ahead of longer-term retail expansion in the Chinese market.

ALO — Expanding the Brand's World in Zhangyuan

ALO chose a historic space in Zhangyuan. Its first offline experience space in mainland China consists of three floors and an outdoor area, operating in phases from first-floor retail to wellness, yoga and Pilates, a café, and community programs, with yoga and reformer Pilates programs also planned for the third floor.

In particular, ALO's space places more weight on brand experience than on the function of a clothing store. It has broadened its scope from a space for buying products to a space for working out, recovering, and spending time.

Its significance lies less in the Shanghai entry itself and more in the fact that it's ALO's first offline test showing what kind of brand experience it will create in China.

lululemon — Choosing the Most Familiar Shanghai

Of the three brands, lululemon has operated in the Chinese market the longest. Since entering mainland China in 2014, it has continued to expand its store count, and in 2025, its mainland China revenue reached $1.7548 billion.

Nanjing Road East, where the new store opened, is one of Shanghai's signature large pedestrian shopping districts. lululemon's strategy is less about testing a new market and more about extending its already established brand recognition in China to broader consumer touchpoints.

It has also set up a new office in Shanghai's West Bund to support its China business. Expanding both its stores and its headquarters functions shows that it views the Chinese market not as a short-term growth opportunity but as a long-term business base.

Why Shanghai, and Why Now

The overlapping timing of the three brands' entries is also tied to China's consumption calendar. With NikeSKIMS opening on September 29 and ALO officially opening to the public on October 1, both created offline touchpoints around China's National Day holiday.

But more important than the timing is the complex consumer environment of Shanghai itself. It's a market where fashion and sports, luxury and lifestyle, and global brands and local culture all operate at once.

The three brands are creating touchpoints with Chinese consumers in different ways within the same city. Shanghai is functioning not simply as a site for a first store, but as a testbed for experimenting with and expanding brand formats in the Chinese market.

💡 EDITORIAL SMALL TALK

NikeSKIMS, ALO, and lululemon haven't chosen the same Shanghai. One brand chose luxury retail, another wellness, and another mass foot traffic.

What matters in the Chinese market is less where a store opens and more which customers a brand meets and how. Shanghai is becoming the market that shows that difference most clearly.