A set of windbreakers costs 2,800 yuan, and tents are sold for over 10,000 yuan! Domestic outdoor brands have gone crazy!
This is the 1902nd sharing of Shenke New Consumption:
Breaking free from the "budget alternative" label and charging towards the high - end market, domestic outdoor brands are growing obliquely within the rigid brand hierarchy.
Author | Wang Lianhua
Source | Shenke New Consumption [ID: xinshangye2016]
Cover image | Pixabay
Who would have thought that windbreakers are becoming a sought - after hard currency; who could have predicted that the camping gear set of three, which costs half a month's salary, would still be snapped up. These outdoor products, once regarded as "niche toys", are重构ing the consumption list of the middle class in the guise of luxury goods.
What's most unexpected is that most of them are domestic outdoor brands.
Breaking free from the "budget alternative" label and charging towards the high - end market, domestic outdoor brands are growing obliquely within the rigid brand hierarchy. You know, the once high - and - mighty international brands have actually lowered their profiles in the Chinese market and quietly launched street - to - street battles in the low - price market with discount coupons.
This battle that subverts common sense has made this track full of intrigue.
01 The outdoor track is in a melee, with international brands taking the C - position
In fact, in the Chinese outdoor track, according to brand positioning, a situation has been formed where domestic and foreign brands confront each other.
The first echelon is firmly occupied by foreign brands, such as Arc'teryx, Salomon, Descente, lululemon, The North Face, etc.; Beaster, which is going public in Hong Kong, and Kailas, Toread, Bananain, Mobi Garden, etc., which have created billion - level single products, are domestic technology brands and belong to the second echelon; as for the popular and affordable national brands like Camel and Tantu, they belong to the third echelon.
Besides the overseas high - end brands, why can the domestic outdoor brands that have been quietly working in the niche and professional segments of the outdoor track for many years and gradually entered the public eye have a place in the market?
On the one hand, the increasing demand for national outdoor sports in China has presented opportunities for domestic and foreign outdoor brand merchants.
According to the data from the Magic Mirror Insight Research Report, the Chinese outdoor footwear and apparel market has maintained a high - growth trend. The market volume in the past year reached 44.22 billion yuan, with a year - on - year increase of 74.4%. Against the background of a stable market average price, the growth is mainly due to the increasing consumer demand. The number of market products has increased slightly to meet the diverse product needs of consumers.
It can be said that outdoor sports have gone beyond the professional scope. Whether for social interaction or health pursuit, they have been deeply integrated into the daily lives of the public and have become an indispensable element in the modern lifestyle.
On the other hand, the overall maturity and explosion of the market have driven the development of the outdoor industry chain. According to public data, the Chinese outdoor equipment market reached 87.2 billion yuan in 2023 and is expected to exceed 100 billion yuan by 2028.
Under the combined effect of the above objective environmental factors, the Chinese outdoor track has迎来 a wave of explosive dividends, forming a situation where domestic and foreign brands share the market.
The competition among brands gives consumers the most intuitive feeling that, supported by years of historical precipitation and a highly loyal and stable customer base, it is reasonable for foreign high - end brands to sell their products at high prices. Indeed, there are middle - class and high - net - worth users willing to pay the bill.
For example, a windbreaker with the Arc'teryx label can be sold for up to tens of thousands of yuan; Salomon hiking shoes, with their "Salomon fans" culture, can be sold for over 1,000 yuan; a pair of men's and women's training gloves from lululemon can be sold online for up to 380 yuan...
Although the prices of foreign big brands are extremely high, it doesn't prevent their sales from rising steadily. From last year's sales data, Salomon's footwear product sales exceeded 1 billion US dollars, and its overall revenue exceeded 1.3 billion US dollars; Arc'teryx's global sales reached 2.19 billion US dollars, equivalent to about 15.682 billion yuan. Among them, its revenue in the Chinese market increased by 53% year - on - year, which was the most prominent growth rate among all segments.
It can be seen that although Arc'teryx products are often priced at nearly ten thousand yuan and Salomon single products are also stable in the range of two to three thousand yuan, driven by emotional identification, social status symbol, and group effect, these two outdoor brands have already built a significant brand premium space.
In contrast, domestic brands have long been labeled with stereotypes such as high cost - effectiveness, affordable prices, and budget alternatives to high - end brands. For example, Beaster's three - in - one windbreaker costs only about one - third of the price of international brands, around 500 - 800 yuan; the Mountain God series of trail running shoes, priced at 299 yuan, are called the "Salomon budget alternative". The Camel brand, suitable for the general public, not only has a wide range of outdoor products but also has very affordable prices. Many products are even sold for less than 100 yuan after using coupons.
However, the market trend has changed greatly. Domestic outdoor brand merchants have been in the "budget alternative" position for too long and are no longer satisfied with it. They have raised prices to seek new growth in the mid - to - high - end market, trying to get rid of the "budget alternative" label that has been on them for years.
02 Where does the confidence for domestic outdoor brands to raise prices and move up the ladder come from?
In the past two years, when selling high - end products, domestic outdoor brands have been quite aggressive in pricing.
Kailas, a domestic brand that has always followed the cost - effective route, was widely praised in the outdoor circle for its cost - effectiveness in the past. However, now its prices are approaching those of international first - tier outdoor brands. For example, a hard - shell windbreaker is priced as high as 2,800 yuan, and the core single product, trail running shoes, are sold for over 1,000 yuan.
On social platforms, consumers have reacted strongly to Kailas' price increase. Some supporters recognize Kailas' professional performance, while others joke: "Add a little more budget and buy Arc'teryx directly."
Even Mobi Garden, which started with outdoor camping products, has many products directly targeting the high - end market. For example, a tent named "Royal Castle 310" is priced as high as 13,499 yuan; the Cold Mountain Extreme Series windbreakers cost over 2,000 yuan, and windproof pants often cost over 1,500 yuan.
It should be noted that Kailas and Mobi Garden are not exceptions. The collective upward price movement of domestic outdoor brands has become a major trend that cannot be ignored in the outdoor consumer market in recent years. According to Magic Mirror data, among the top 30 domestic brands, the average prices of Camel, Beaster, Kailas, and Toread have increased by 25% to 65% year - on - year in the past year.
Then, we have to think about a question: Why are domestic outdoor brands敢于 to sell at high prices? What's the deeper intention? After analysis, it is mainly closely related to the following three reasons.
Firstly, high prices can bring more substantial revenue and profits. As we mentioned earlier, the biggest benefit of foreign outdoor brands selling at high prices in China is increased revenue, which domestic brand merchants envy and extremely want to achieve.
Indeed, under the high - price strategy, it has opened up a new situation for the revenue and profit of many domestic brands. Beaster's windbreakers have a cumulative sales volume of 3.8 million pieces, with a revenue of nearly 1.8 billion yuan. Windbreakers contribute over 80% of the revenue, and the net profit has soared from only 24 million yuan in 2022 to 283 million yuan by the end of 2024.
Toread and Mobi Garden, listed companies on the A - share market, had revenues of 1.592 billion yuan and 1.304 billion yuan respectively in 2024. Especially under the high - end strategy, it has helped both of them achieve a relatively high gross profit margin. For example, Toread's gross profit margin has exceeded 47% in the past two years, and its profitability has been continuously improving.
Secondly, the trend of retail consumption upgrading is becoming increasingly obvious, which means that "involution" on the low - price path for domestic outdoor brands is no longer effective.
The data released at the 2025 Service Retail Industry Conference shows that the scale of China's service retail industry reached 7 trillion yuan in 2024. China has become one of the countries with the richest service consumption scenarios and high convenience in the world. Zhuang Shuai, a retail e - commerce expert and guest consultant of the China Chain Store & Franchise Association, said that the explosion of service retail is an inevitable result of consumption upgrading.
Thirdly, in the competition with foreign big brands, domestic outdoor brands believe that they have certain price - raising advantages, and this advantage is mainly reflected in their inborn deep connection with China's unique "consumption national conditions".
Undoubtedly, different from the competitive nature of Western outdoor culture, which focuses on breaking limits, "Chinese - style outdoor" is developing along the track of light - weight and high playability, focusing more on creating a relaxed and pleasant experience.
In China, whether it's hiking through natural landscapes, cycling in the city to explore alleys, or camping to enjoy the peace under the stars, different regional characteristics, group preferences, and seasonal changes have all created a diverse range of choices. The dependence of such activities on participants' professional skills and complex equipment has significantly decreased. Participants often don't need special training backgrounds or professional equipment to participate.
The unique consumption motivation in China's outdoor market means that user needs are completely different from those abroad. That is, the functional attributes of outdoor equipment are gradually taking a back seat and have become an important medium for personality expression, lifestyle advocacy, and fashion aesthetics. Design aesthetics and trendy elements have been elevated to the same strategic height as professional performance. Especially among China's young consumer groups, the visual appeal and scene adaptability of outdoor equipment often become the key factors in the decision to buy high - priced products.
Therefore, different from foreign brands, by strengthening the implantation of outdoor fashion design language and cultural symbols in high - end products, it can provide a key entry point for domestic outdoor brands to break through the price ceiling and build a differentiated emotional premium space on the basis of maintaining practical value.
But it's imaginable that the upward price movement of domestic outdoor brand merchants has undoubtedly brought a huge impact on foreign brands with high - end price advantage barriers. If they don't make strategic changes quickly, the high - end market will be completely eroded.
As the saying goes, "Business is like war." Foreign brand forces will naturally not sit idly by. They have started to counter - attack and launched a defense war by lowering prices to repair the high - end price "moat" they have painstakingly built.
Arc'teryx, whose hangtags were once炒 to 300 yuan each, has seen its Year of the Snake limited - edition windbreakers fall back to the original price from a high price of 20,000 yuan. Now, significant price cuts and discounts seem to have become the norm; lululemon, known as the "Hermès of yoga pants", has also lowered its profile and offered 50% discounts in outlet stores; many high - end road bikes, which used to require queuing and price increases, are now officially discounted by thousands of yuan by the brands. Even Trek, with its previously stable prices, has seen some popular models with a price cut of up to 50%...
03 Just raising prices without aiming to be a "budget alternative" is not a stable and good strategy
However, compared with high - end brands like Arc'teryx and Descente, whose average prices are often in the thousands or even tens of thousands, the price - raising strategy of domestic outdoor brands is not a long - term solution.
Firstly, the change of brand perception needs to be gradual.
International outdoor brands with a long brand history spend a large amount of money every year on building a high - end brand image. Moreover, domestic brands that have grown up in the mass consumer market find it even more difficult to be easily accepted by consumers just by raising prices to enhance brand value.
It's easier to penetrate the low - end market than to upgrade. Domestic outdoor brands first broke through in the low - end market to quickly open up the sales situation. This has indeed helped them sell more products, but the penetration of channels and sales strategies has caused damage to the brand image that can't be repaired overnight.
It's not easy for domestic outdoor brands to change the imprint of the mid - to - low - end brand image in consumers' minds brought about by this strategy.
Although brands like Kailas and Bananain have started to vigorously develop high - net - worth users, focus on first - and second - tier channels, enter mainstream business districts, and upgrade their store images. However, the third - and fourth - tier markets, which account for nearly 70% of the market, are still the main battleground for many domestic outdoor brands. Therefore, for them, the road to brand image upgrade is still long and arduous.
Objectively speaking, whether comparing prices with foreign big brands at the same quality level or comparing quality at the same price level, domestic outdoor brands actually have more advantages.
Take the Swiss outdoor brand Mammut, which has a history of over 150 years, for comparison. Its Ayako - Pro hard - shell windbreaker uses the same GORE - TEX fabric as Kailas, but Mammut's price is much higher. However, domestic consumers tend to buy foreign big brands.
According to relevant industry professionals, "Now many young people would rather buy more expensive outdoor sports products with big foreign brand logos than spend the same high price on a domestic brand product with better quality."
This actually shows a cruel reality: compared with foreign big brands, the high - end image that domestic outdoor brands have been trying to shape by raising prices is limited, and they don't have enough confidence to convince the public.
The quality of foreign high - price outdoor brand merchants may not actually be better, but why can they make consumers willing to pay the bill? This is a question that domestic brands should think about.
Secondly, blindly raising prices doesn't mean becoming high - end.
Without strong product strength and brand strength to support it, high prices are also unsustainable.
The quality of products determines the bottom line of a brand's development. The false publicity incident of Decathlon's windbreakers had a great negative impact on the brand image. As a category that emphasizes safety, comfort, and professionalism, outdoor sports products have higher quality requirements compared with other consumer products.
Many domestic outdoor brands have indeed maintained the bottom line in product quality through innovative technology and in - depth exploration of scenarios.
For example, Black Ice, which focuses on outdoor down sleeping bags and down jackets, is the first Chinese brand certified by IDFB for goose down. It has water - repellent duck down technology. The Tian Shu series of down jackets weighs only 380g and has a loft of over 900, with a cost - effectiveness 30% higher than that of international brands.
Toread, which focuses on polar equipment and smart clothing, has life jackets equipped with Beidou satellite positioning technology. Its flagship windbreaker uses the TiEFPRO polar protection film, which can withstand cold as low as - 50°C.
It can be seen that domestic outdoor brand merchants with rising prices are starting to pay great attention to product innovation. However, domestic brands still have a long way to go in terms of product strength to make consumers willing to pay high prices for high - quality products without feeling cheated.
Finally, although the market share of domestic outdoor brands is constantly increasing, in order to build a high - end image, their marketing expenses are also increasing year by year.
Spending a large amount of money on publicity from the hard - earned revenue every year, domestic outdoor brand merchants dare not easily cut off the marketing expenses, which has become a heavy burden for them.
Bananain, which failed to go public in Hong Kong, saw its marketing expenses soar from 125 million yuan in 2019 to 1.104 billion yuan by the end of 2021. The proportion of marketing expenses in the current revenue soared from 32% to 46%. The huge marketing expenses devoured profits, resulting in the company incurring losses of - 23 million yuan and - 547.3 million yuan respectively in two of the three years, and only barely breaking even in one year. In addition, Toread's sales expenses have also accounted for more than 20% of the revenue in recent years.
Perhaps domestic outdoor brand merchants should calm down and think carefully. The core goal is not to blindly raise prices to get rid of the "budget alternative" label and go astray on the mid - to - high - end path, but to achieve a two - way interaction with consumers through technological innovation and in - depth exploration of scenarios.
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This article is from the WeChat official account "Shenke New Consumption", author: Wang Lianhua, published with permission.
