100 famous enterprises to see high-quality | interview with Ding Shuibo, president of Xtep: the future will continue to actively layout the "national tide"

Zhongxin Jingwei, December 28 (Zhao Jiaran) "A very obvious feature of the current market is that the crowd we face is different. Generation Z has become the main body of consumption, from 'cost-effective' to 'love-price ratio', cultural self-confidence, pursuit of national tide culture, patriotism, love of domestic products, brand management should also change, technology and fashion are the main characteristics of brand change. Talking about the changes in the sporting goods market in recent years, Ding Shuibo, president of Xtep Group, said in an exclusive interview with Zhongxin Jingwei.

Ding Shuibo, president of Xtep Group, provided a picture by the interviewee

Since 2021, consumers' enthusiasm for domestic sports brands and "national tide wind" has been pushed to a climax, and Chinese sports brands have risen strongly. Ding Shuibo said that as early as 2018, the successive popularity of goods such as the Great White Rabbit and the Forbidden City has opened the momentum of "national hot flashes". "This is deeply related to the rise of China's national strength, consumer perception, and cultural self-confidence." Ding Shuibo said that as a domestic sports brand with a history of 20 years, Xtep will continue to actively lay out the "national tide".

From the simple pursuit of cost performance, to the needs of feelings, aesthetics, technology and other integration, the choice of a new generation of consumers is affecting the strategic direction of sports brands. Ding Shuibo said that while fully understanding the changes in the consumer market, Xtep is also doing further digital transformation, that is, through consumer operations to study what consumers like, and push back product design from consumers' purchasing habits. In terms of brand marketing, Xtep is also constantly exploring and iterating, communicating with consumers in a way that consumers like.

In September 2021, Xtep released its fifth five-year plan, which clarified that the Xtep brand adheres to the development of sports + fashion two-wheel drive, and puts forward the goal of 24 billion yuan of revenue by 2025. "As the sports gene of domestic sporting goods brands, we will continue to empower us through science and technology in the field of running shoes, increase investment in research and development, and strive to let more young people choose Xtep running shoes."

At the same time, the strong promotion of the policy also makes Ding Shuibo full of confidence in the sports brand market. The 2021 "National Fitness Plan (2021-2025)" proposes that by 2025, the total scale of the national sports industry will reach 5 trillion yuan. Li Jianming, deputy director of the State General Administration of Sports, said that he strives to develop the sports industry into a pillar industry of the national economy by 2035.

"On the one hand, China's sports population is increasing; on the other hand, the development space of the sporting goods market is huge, and the per capita consumption of sports equipment is increasing, and there is still a lot of room for development." Ding Shuibo said. (Zhongxin Jingwei APP)

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