Anta Sets Its Sights on Nike and Adidas With Strategic Puma Stake
China’s largest sportswear company is accelerating its global ambitions after acquiring a significant stake in a European rival, a move that signals a direct challenge to industry leaders Nike and Adidas. Anta Sports has emerged as a serious international contender following its agreement to buy a twenty nine percent stake in Germany’s Puma for about one point eight billion US dollars.
The deal caps more than a decade of acquisition driven expansion by Anta, which has quietly assembled one of the most diverse brand portfolios in the global sportswear industry. Known domestically for offering good value athletic apparel at prices well below those of Nike and Adidas, Anta has increasingly focused on adding premium and international brands to extend its reach across multiple price points.
By two thousand twenty five, Anta had captured roughly twenty three percent of China’s sportswear market, overtaking long time leaders Nike and Adidas in the world’s second largest consumer market. With a market valuation of around twenty eight billion dollars, the group now ranks among the top three sportswear companies globally. But founder and chairman Ding Shizong has made clear that scale alone is not enough. His goal is to build what he describes as the Anta of the world rather than a Chinese version of a Western brand.
Anta’s rise began modestly. Ding started the business in the late nineteen eighties in China’s Fujian province, initially selling shoes made in a small workshop. After years of contract manufacturing for foreign brands, he decided to build Anta as a standalone label, betting that ownership of branding would deliver higher margins and long term control. That decision laid the foundation for Anta’s current strategy.
Rather than relying on a single brand, Anta steadily acquired and developed multiple labels. Its portfolio now includes Anta itself, Fila operations in China and parts of Southeast Asia, outdoor and ski brands such as Descente and Kolon Sport, women focused label MAIA Active and outdoor specialist Jack Wolfskin. The biggest leap came in two thousand eighteen, when Anta led a consortium to acquire Amer Sports for six point two nine billion dollars.
Amer Sports proved pivotal. Brands such as Arc’teryx, Salomon and Wilson saw explosive growth in China under Anta’s stewardship, with annual growth rates in Greater China consistently exceeding forty percent following Amer’s relisting in early two thousand twenty four. Analysts say Anta succeeded by investing heavily in premium stores, direct to consumer channels and careful brand positioning tailored to local tastes.
That track record offers clues to Anta’s ambitions for Puma. Despite its global recognition, Puma currently generates only a small share of its revenue from China, leaving significant room for expansion. Market observers say Anta’s local expertise and capital could help revitalise Puma’s presence in China through upgraded stores, sharper marketing and deeper distribution.
For Anta, Puma fills a critical gap. While Anta’s own brand and its acquired labels perform strongly in Asia, gaining traction in the United States and Europe remains challenging for a Chinese nameplate. Puma brings instant credibility and scale in those markets, giving Anta access to regions that are essential for its long term ambition to rival Nike and Adidas on a truly global stage.
Analysts expect Anta’s acquisition spree to be far from over. With its Puma investment, the Chinese group has signalled it is ready to compete head on with the world’s biggest sportswear giants, not just at home, but across the global arena.
