Premium Shift Reshapes China's CN¥ 104B Sportswear Market

Executive Summary

China's online sports footwear and apparel market generated CN¥ 104.4 billion in MAT2023, declining only -4.25% year-on-year (YoY) while women's clothing fell -14.0% and men's clothing dropped -11.5%^[1]. Beneath this relative resilience lies a significant structural transformation: consumers are trading up to premium price segments, with the CN¥ 600-800 range growing +25.1% to CN¥ 13.3 billion while the budget CN¥ 0-200 segment contracted -19.4%. This analysis examines the premiumization trend, category dynamics, and pricing implications for brands competing across Taobao (淘宝), Tmall (天猫), and JD.com (京东).

Market Resilience Amid Broader Apparel Decline

China's sportswear market outperformed the broader online apparel sector by a wide margin in MAT2023. The -4.25% decline compares favorably against women's clothing at -14.0% and men's clothing at -11.5%, reflecting enduring consumer demand for athletic and casual wear. Health consciousness and the growing popularity of outdoor activities continue to underpin this relative strength.

Total sales volume reached 380.2 million units across platforms, with Taobao and Tmall accounting for approximately 84% of combined sales. Monthly data reveals pronounced seasonality driven by major promotional events, with November's Double 11 festival and June's 618 festival producing consistent peaks year after year.

Sports footwear and apparel market outperforms broader apparel categories despite overall decline

Premiumization Drives Pricing Shift on Tmall

The CN¥ 600-800 segment expanded from CN¥ 10.6 billion in MAT2022 to CN¥ 13.3 billion in MAT2023, representing +25.1% growth. This stands in stark contrast to the budget CN¥ 0-200 segment, which contracted -19.4% from CN¥ 24.1 billion to CN¥ 19.4 billion. The premium segment (CN¥ 800-1000) also grew significantly at +32.0%, from CN¥ 5.4 billion to CN¥ 7.1 billion, confirming that consumers are trading up within the category rather than leaving it entirely.

Key drivers of this premiumization trend include:

• Rising consumer expectations for technical performance and design differentiation
• Strong brand investment in the mid-high price tier, particularly from Nike and Fila
• Social media-driven aspiration for retro-casual and fashion-forward athletic footwear
• The CN¥ 200-400 segment showing the most stability, declining only -4.3% YoY

Mid-high price segment gains ground as budget categories contract on Tmall

JD.com Mirrors the Premium Shift

JD.com's pricing dynamics mirror the Tmall trend, with higher price tiers showing greater resilience. The CN¥ 800-1000 segment on JD.com grew from CN¥ 199 million to CN¥ 214 million, while mid-range segments contracted. This cross-platform consistency confirms the premiumization trend is consumer-driven rather than platform-specific.

JD.com mirrors Tmall pricing shift toward higher price tiers

Brand Positioning Across Price Tiers

Nike dominates the CN¥ 400-1000 range, capturing between 15% and 26% share across each bracket^[2]. Below CN¥ 400, domestic brands Anta (安踏) and Li Ning (李宁) each command more than 10% market share, leveraging their value-for-money positioning. Fila's strength concentrates in the CN¥ 400-800 range, where its retro-casual aesthetic resonates with consumers willing to pay a premium for fashion-forward athletic wear.

Nike and Fila dominate the premium CN¥ 600-800 segment while domestic brands lead below CN¥ 400

Footwear Dominates the Category Mix

Footwear accounts for 67.1% of sales on Tmall and 72.5% on JD.com. Athletic shoes and running shoes together represent nearly 40% of Tmall sportswear sales, confirming the centrality of footwear to the overall market. Average prices across both platforms converged to approximately CN¥ 230 by May 2023, with sports shoes exerting the greatest influence on overall market pricing.

Footwear commands two-thirds of Tmall sportswear sales, led by athletic and running shoes

Average prices show seasonal fluctuations anchored around CN¥ 230 on Tmall

Key Takeaways

• China's sportswear market generated CN¥ 104.4 billion in MAT2023, declining only -4.25% YoY versus -14.0% for women's clothing
• The CN¥ 600-800 price segment grew +25.1% YoY to CN¥ 13.3 billion, while the budget CN¥ 0-200 segment contracted -19.4%
• Footwear dominates the category mix at 67.1% of Tmall sales and 72.5% of JD.com sales
• Nike leads the premium CN¥ 600-800 segment at 26% share, with Fila capturing 13.7%
• Average selling prices stabilized at approximately CN¥ 230, masking a structural shift toward higher-value purchases

## About the Data

This analysis draws on Moojing Market Intelligence data covering the MAT2023 period (June 2022 to May 2023). Moojing tracks 400,000+ brands across 30+ e-commerce platforms, representing 58-65% of China's online retail GMV. For full methodology and additional insights, see the complete Sports Footwear and Apparel whitepaper.