Lifelong health journey boosts fitness sector

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Members take a Pilates class at a Pure yoga studio at Jing’an Kerry Centre in Shanghai in October 2023 (PROVIDED TO CHINA DAILY)

Climbing the curved stairway at Shanghai’s Jing’an Kerry Centre, Lululemon’s largest site in the Asia-Pacific region, a fitness studio on the third floor suddenly comes into view. It is the brainchild of a recent innovation jointly developed by Pure Group and Lululemon, offering small-sized group classes including Tai Chi, yoga, Pilates, rings and more than 20 kinds of self-developed yoga and fitness classes.

At the new 4,300 sq ft location, which consists of two classrooms, consumers can reserve sessions online and sign in automatically by scanning codes on their phones upon arrival.

At the door, clean towels and training apparel are ready for pick-up. The store is decorated in earth tones, mud red and green, with flowing lines, round corners and curves creating a lively and fluid atmosphere. At the reception desk, its food and beverage brand Nood Food is available at a minibar to diversify edible and potable offerings for members.

During the venue’s opening ceremony, Jane Jiang, managing director of Pure China, said: “The store has redefined advanced athletic scenes and a premium sports community – a gateway to seek expansion and development in China’s fitness market – through collaborating with Lululemon in creating better training experiences and bringing well-being to more ­people.”

At present, the biggest driving force for China’s sports industry is the emerging participation from women in sports – yoga, city walks, flying discs and camping – said Adam Zhang, founder of Key-solution Sports Consulting. The rise of the “she-sports” phenomenon has fuelled the development of fitness centres, sports facility manufacturing and sportswear products across the country.

The yoga sector, in particular, will continue to grow, Zhang said, adding that: “Women are investing heavily in their well-being, be it skincare and makeup, or wellness activities such as yoga, to nurture themselves in mind and body.”

According to iResearch, in 2020, China’s yoga market had already reached 38.7 billion yuan (£4.3 billion), and is forecast to touch 56.1 billion yuan (£6.3 billion) by the end of this year. Yoga apparel itself was valued at $1.6 billion (£1.3 billion) in China in 2021, taking up 23 per cent of the global share. The sector is expected to climb to more than $3 billion (£2.4 billion) by 2028, said QY Research.

Chinese sportswear company Anta in October acquired a 75.13 per cent stake in Shanghai-based female-focused sportswear producer Maia Active to pursue the emerging women’s sportswear market in the country. Anta said Maia Active’s business has a certain market influence among female consumers, especially in the yoga sports category, and has potential for future growth.

For global leading athletic apparel company Lululemon Athletica Inc, its revenue in China in the second quarter jumped 61 per cent year-on-year to $277 million (£223 million), doubling the 30 per cent growth rate of the same period last year, boosted mainly by store expansion and rising demand from consumers, said the company. In the first half, of the 17 new stores Lululemon opened globally, nine were in China.

It seems only natural that the number of Pure members is on the rise this year, surpassing the peak in 2021, thanks in part to more flexibility in working hours and to growing awareness of well-being and health, said the company.

As more people have been going outdoors for hiking, riding, cycling, camping and mountain climbing, the company has designed cross-training classes to empower members’ ability to take part in more active outdoor sports. There is also popularity for classes that have curing and healing functions – both physically and mentally – since the beginning of this year. At Pure, nearly 40 per cent of classes have healing components.

A lifelong fitness journey free of injury is on Pure’s agenda for China’s ageing society, or what is often called “lifestyle medicine” – using lifestyle interventions as a primary way to treat chronic conditions. The solutions cover individual diet, fitness, pressure management and sleep, with cloud real-time monitoring. For example, with the support of wellness coaches for weight management, it should be mild, effective and sustainable, Jiang said, rather than short-term methods simply relying on diets.