Anta's ambitious Southeast Asia expansion fueled by localization

Anta Sports Products Ltd is accelerating its global expansion with a bold target: 1,000 stores of its ANTA brand across Southeast Asia within three years, betting on a mix of multi-brand strength, heavy localization, and an up-scaled supply chain to challenge the global sportswear rivals in one of the world's fastest-growing consumer markets.

The move signals how the largest sportswear maker in China is leaning on Southeast Asia as a growth engine after the region saw retail sales nearly double in the first half of 2025, according to Will Wang, vice-president of Anta Group and president of Anta Southeast Asia Region.

Wang, a longtime retail executive within the company, was appointed in 2023 to spearhead the regional push.

"Southeast Asia is critical to our global growth plan," Wang said in an interview on Thursday. "True globalization means achieving localization in every market while staying true to the brand's DNA. It's not just about selling products — it's about building the brand and delivering real value to local consumers."

The Fujian-based group has made localization a central pillar of its strategy. Its Southeast Asia headquarters in Singapore oversees operations for multiple brands — including Anta, FILA and Descente — and employs more than 400 local staff, with nearly 80 percent hired from the domestic labor pool. Across the region, Anta Group now has about 3,000 employees, 96 percent of whom are locals.

"The country general manager has to come from the local market," Wang said. "Otherwise, you can't truly deliver on localization."

Descente is prioritized in Malaysia, where golf sport is popular. Wilson has tapped into Vietnam's emerging pickleball craze. In the Philippines, ANTA basketball drives sales, where ANTA has committed to sponsoring local tournaments at every level, from high school to national championships.

That strategy has yielded quick wins. In Vietnam for instance, WILSON generated $1 million in sales within two months of launch, said Wang.

Wang said the company avoids copying its China playbook abroad. Instead, the company categorizes brands and products by market performance.

"If one category does well in a market, we'll add another. We don't just flood new markets with every brand at once — that would be waste of resources," he said.

This measured approach builds on the company's "Brand + Retail" unique model, which blends direct-to-consumer operations with global resource integration. The company believes this framework, coupled with e-commerce and flagship stores in prime locations such as Marina Bay Sands and Orchard Road in Singapore, will create a closed-loop sales ecosystem across online and offline channels.

Despite its aggressive store target, Anta is cautious about their approaches in penetrating local markets overseas. Wang said expansion will hinge on flexibility and diversity in retail formats and partnerships with local property developers and retailers.

The company is also investing in Southeast Asian manufacturing as part of its global supply chain expansion. Nearly half the products sold in the region are now made in the Southeast Asia, which Wang called "an inevitable step" to support faster response times and improve customer experience.

"Producing locally lets us respond quickly to the market. That means a better experience for customers," he said.

Wang said that Anta's long-term success will depend on more than sales metrics. "We always ask ourselves three questions: how much taxes are we contributing to the countries where we operate, how many jobs are we creating, and what services are we giving back to the local community," he said. "If we cannot answer those well, we won't succeed in that market."

The company currently runs nearly 60 stores under six brands in Singapore alone. But for the group, the longer-term goal is clear: elevate the company from a domestic leader into a truly global sportswear group.

In the first half of 2025, Anta group's overseas revenue surged more than 150 percent year-on-year, with Southeast Asia as the primary driver. Expansion is also underway in the Middle East and North Africa — where its retail network now spans the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Egypt and Kenya — and in North America.

In the US, Anta brand is going to open its first flagship store in Beverly Hills, California, later this year, and forged partnerships with leading distributors while investing in grassroots sports communities.

"Our vision is to make Anta a global name," he said. "Prioritizing the Anta brand in overseas markets is the first step — and Southeast Asia is where that journey accelerates."

wangzhuoqiong@chinadaily.com.cn