Asics 2025 Global Revenue Rises 19.5%; Greater China 120.5 Billion Yen, Up 19.9%; Plans Expansion in China

Japanese sportswear brand Asics was founded in 1949 and has a 77-year history. In 2018, Yasuhito Hirota joined Asics as president and chief operating officer, subsequently driving a series of changes. These included reorganizing the business into five categories: Performance Running, Ball Sports, Sport Style, Apparel & Equipment, and Onitsuka Tiger, each with a dedicated manager. Asics identified three strategic markets outside Japan — China, the United States, and Europe — and concentrated resources there. The company also began implementing global corporate governance standards, established a China headquarters, and set up factories in Shandong and elsewhere, with local staff responsible for tracking consumer preferences.

Asics' 2025 fiscal year data showed full-year revenue up 19.5% year on year, and operating profit up 42.4%. Greater China revenue reached 120.5 billion yen, up 19.9% year on year. China has become Asics' third-largest market globally outside Japan and one of the group's fastest-growing regions. In 2018, Greater China sales were 39.69 billion yen; in 2020, they were 41.12 billion yen, up 4.2% year on year, making it one of the few markets worldwide to achieve positive growth.

Asics operates about 400 stores in China, including both direct and franchise outlets. The next step is to add more large direct stores in first- and second-tier cities while strengthening partnerships with dealers in other cities. Asics China Chairman Lin Huangsi said that the fiscal years 2026 and 2027 will be critical for Asics' China market, and the company will increase brand marketing and offline channel deployment. Currently, 50% of sales in China are produced locally, and this proportion is expected to expand further in the coming years.