Recently,There are rumors in the market that Anta Group is acquiring the German outdoor sports brand Jack Wolfskin ('Wolf Claw').In response to this rumor, Anta Group officially stated: "We do not comment on market rumors."
Although this statement did not directly confirm the acquisition, it is linked to the group's recently released 2024 annual financial report, prompting the market to deeply interpret its globalization strategy. The latest financial report data shows that,Anta Group's market value has surpassed 70 billion yuan for the first time, combined with its subsidiary Amer Sports' annual revenue of 37.26 billion yuan, the total revenue of both platforms has historically crossed the threshold of 100 billion yuan.。
This meansANTA has become the third sports goods company in the world to surpass an annual total revenue of 100 billion after Nike and Adidas.。
Image source: Xiao Ma Song
The growth history of a trillion-dollar giant
Anta Group was founded in 1991, originating from Jinjiang, Fujian. Its development into a leading global sports goods group can largely be attributed to its core strategy of 'multi-brand strategy,' which focuses on market expansion through the acquisition of international brands.
Image source: the internet
In 2009, Anta acquired the China operations of the Italian brand FILA for 332 million yuan. At that time, FILA was suffering heavy losses in the Chinese market, with only 50 stores. Under Anta's management, FILA turned a profit in 2014, exceeded 10 billion yuan in revenue in 2018, and reached 21.8 billion yuan in 2021, officially becoming Anta's 'cash cow' business, supporting half of Anta Group's revenue. As of June 2024, the number of FILA stores has skyrocketed to 1,981.
Since then, Anta continued to expand its brand matrix through acquisitions.
- 2015: Acquired the Russian sports and leisure brand Sprandi;
- In 2016: Established a joint venture with Descente's subsidiary and Itochu Corporation, responsible for Descente's operations in China.
- 2017: Acquired the Korean high-end outdoor brand KOLON SPORT and established a joint venture; simultaneously acquired the children's clothing brand KINGKOW;
- In 2019: United Sources Capital acquired Amer Sports for 4.6 billion euros, which includes well-known brands such as Arc'teryx, Salomon, and Wilson.
- 2023: Acquired the women's yoga apparel brand MAIA, further segmenting the market.
Although there are many brands under acquisition, the brands under Anta have precise positioning, covering different consumer groups.
- Anta: Positioned in the mass market, with the main price range concentrated between 200-500 yuan.
- FILA: Positioned as a high-end sports fashion brand, with the main price range concentrated between 500-1000 yuan.
- Arc'teryx: Positioning as luxury outdoor gear, with an average price of 5,000 yuan, and some popular items exceeding 10,000 yuan.
- Descente: Positioned as a professional sports equipment brand, with the main price range concentrated between 1000 and 10000 yuan.
In 2024, Anta Sports will go public in the United States, marking the most critical step in its internationalization efforts, and it will make Anta the third global sports goods group to achieve annual revenue of 100 billion in 2024, completing a historic leap.
It can be said that Anta has transformed from a single brand to a multi-brand group through its multi-brand rise strategy, surpassing other competitors and becoming the undisputed "big brother" in the domestic sports brand field with a market value of "hundreds of billions."
Who is Jack Wolfskin?
After discussing Anta, let's learn more about this.Germany's number one outdoor brand - Jack Wolfskin (Wolf Claw)。
Jack Wolfskin was established in 1981 by mountaineering enthusiast Ulrich Dausien, initially focusing on the production of essential mountaineering equipment such as tents, sleeping bags, and backpacks. With the development of the brand, the product line gradually expanded to include more outdoor gear like rain jackets and hiking shoes.
Image source: the internet
Jack Wolfskin's core innovation technology Texapore membrane once set the industry standard, and its iconic wolf paw logo also has a very high level of recognition in the Chinese market.
Jack Wolfskin entered the Chinese market in 2007, four years later than Arc'teryx. However, it quickly captured a portion of the market with relatively lower prices and a positioning in casual outdoor activities, and it expanded into multi-tiered cities.
Subsequently, benefiting from the excellent performance of the Chinese market, Jack Wolfskin decided to reclaim the agency rights ahead of schedule. However, it ended in failure.The number of its stores experienced rapid growth from 220 in 2011 to 700 in 2015, then fell to 500 in 2023, forming a parabola.。
According toData from the 'Jack Wolfskin Tmall Flagship Store' compiled by Zhiyi Technology AI big data.It can be seen that the sales volume of the Tmall channel in the past 7 days is over 3,800 pieces, with a sales amount of 2.8 million, showing a nearly 10-fold gap compared to the sales scale of Descente under Anta during the same period.
Image source: Zhiyi
Obviously, compared to the development of other competitors, Jack Wolfskin is currently in a rather awkward position in its operations in China. At the beginning of 2025, some analysts indicated that Jack Wolfskin needed to revitalize the market through capital cooperation or technological upgrades. If the rumors of Anta's acquisition turn out to be true, then Jack Wolfskin will turn around its current predicament.
Currently, Anta's 'no comment' response has left ample room for market speculation and also hints at potential variables.According to past cases, from Fila to Amer Sports, Anta's acquisition moves have never been simple transactions—often requiring several years to integrate resources and transform the brand after the acquisition.。
For this German old brand that once opened 700 stores in China, whether Anta sees it as a 'lifeline' to take over, or as a new piece in its globalization strategy, it is still too early to draw conclusions, but it is worth looking forward to.
Reference sources: Cai Lian She, Yi Du Pro, NTMT Textile New Materials
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