Global sportswear brand opens second Cebu outlet

CEBU, Philippines —  A year after it established its largest boutique store in the Philippines, in Ayala Center Cebu, global sportswear brand Anta opened its second outlet at SM Seaside City Cebu, indicating the market’s sustained interest in fitness fashion.

Anta, the third-largest sportswear group in the world, expressed confidence in the branded sportswear market despite the presence of renowned brands, and the rise of online shopping.

Anta PH marketing manager Mikko Abello said that the company is drawing plans to establish brick-and-mortar stores in major cities in Visayas and Mindanao, while it continues to grow its presence in the wider Luzon market.

With brands under the conglomerate such as Salomon, Arc’teryx, Wilson, and Peak Performance among others, Anta continues to make its mark on athletes around the globe.

International ambassadors of the brand include NBA Players Klay Thompson and Gordon Hayward and Olympic Skier Eileen Gu.

In Cebu, the brand inked a sponsorship deal with Sacred Heart School-Ateneo de Cebu’s basketball team.

Anta is cashing in on the growing fitness and wellness fashion market post-pandemic and announced the opening of more stores in the Philippines.

The growing interest in fitness, wellness, and sports after the pandemic boosted the company’s plan to invest in physical stores, as the overall retail performance of the business has been encouraging amid jitters of inflation, and even the consumers’ growing adaption to eCommerce.

According to Euromonitor’s Voice of the Consumer: Health and Nutrition Survey, consumers’ greater focus on health and wellness has special relevance for sportswear, given the close relationship between sports and health.

Thus, wellness is one of the megatrends shaping consumer behaviors to 2030. The survey emphasized that sportswear companies and brands can benefit from this growing trend.

Anta is a Chinese sports equipment multinational corporation headquartered in Jinjiang China. It is the world’s largest sports equipment company by revenue and the third-largest manufacturer of sporting goods overall, behind Nike and Adidas.

Founded in 1994, its operations involve the business of designing, developing, manufacturing, and marketing products, including sportswear, footwear, apparel, and accessories under its brand name.