That's approximately how large China's "premium" consumer population is – and it's a "huge" opportunity for higher-end sportswear by foreign companies, according to Bernstein. "Given their outsized earnings power, Premium segments are much more immune to short-term headwinds of unemployment and macro concerns that are impacting mainstream and lower-end consumers," analyst Aneesha Sherman and a team wrote in a report Tuesday. By U.S.
Miao Kun, a 30-year-old who works in sports media in Beijing, said that since the end of the pandemic, more people in China are interested in going out to play sports. He agreed that in China, the sportswear brands bear similarities to local impressions of car brand rankings. Adidas and Nike are like Benz, BMW, the highest end, he said, while the other brands are like Audi or Toyota. That creates distinct market segments – by price.