Growth in sales of outdoor products slowed in China 2013, but grew faster than outdoor store openings, indicating the domestic industry made good progress toward correcting imbalances, according to the Chinese Outdoor Association.
 
Sales of outdoor recreational products increased 12.9 percent to 36.8 billion RMB, or approximately $5.9 billion, in 2013, according to the estimates. The association estimated sales by core Chinese outdoor brands grew by 16.2 percent in 2013.



The estimate indicates a dramatic correction in the Chinese market, where outdoor product sales surged 20.4 percent to 32.6 billion RMB in 2012, but were outpaced by store openings, according to Asia Outdoor. The trade association estimates that the number of stores selling outdoor products in China grew 43.1 percent in 2012. 


“This is an important step towards the normalization and consolidation and back to a balanced market, even if the over capacity was not fully reduced from the previous years,” said Asia Outdoor Chairman Knut Jaeger during a July 23 press conference on the first day of the show, which ran from July 23-28 in Nanjing.


Attendance at the four-day show reflected the correction, dropping 6.8 percent to 17,298, according to Outdoor Asia. An estimated 455 reporters and journalists reported from the show, which drew 613 exhibitors, up from 610 2013. Gore-Tex, Mountain Hardwear, Primaloft, Columbia and Montrail were among U.S.-based exhibitors to exhibit at the show after absences last year. Asics from Japan, Odlo from Switzerland and One Way from Finland also debuted at the show, where a running pavilion emerged as a big attraction.  Several textile producers, meanwhile,  chose not to exhibit due to difficulties being faced by many of China’s domestic apparel brands.



During the press conference, executives representing the Toread, Columbia, The North Face, Kailas and Northland brands unveiled the Chinese Outdoor Association’s new slogan: “We Need Fresh Air.”  Association members will print the slogan on T-shirts to promote outdoor recreation all over China, according to Baggio Zhong, president of Kailas.
Jiangsu, Shanghai, Zhejiang, Anhui, Guangdong and Beijing provinces- in that order – sent the most trade visitors to this year’s show, but Outdoor China reported that there was also good attendance from the northern provinces of Shandong, Henan, Liaoning and Heilongjiang.