US athleisure brand Alo Yoga will launch its first online flagship on Alibaba’s Tmall on 12 August, preceding planned bricks-and-mortar openings in China.
According to Alibaba-owned South China Morning Post, the country’s “athleisure” segment is seeing growing competition from both new yoga-focused labels and established domestic sportswear players chasing the same customer base.
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The move places Alo among a wave of overseas brands entering China’s competitive premium activewear space.
It joins other international entrants pursuing growth in China’s consumer market, one of the largest, including US fast-food chain Church’s Texas Chicken and German retailer Mueller.
Alo confirmed its China entry in June as part of a broader international push into a category blending sportswear with everyday clothing.
Established in 2007, the brand built a following among younger consumers worldwide through a California-inspired aesthetic, with visibility boosted by figures such as Kendall Jenner and Bella Hadid.
The brand’s first Hong Kong store is being developed at K11 Musea in Tsim Sha Tsui, in a waterfront unit formerly occupied by a British luxury food retailer.
Renovations began in February, but the store has not yet opened and the company has not announced a launch date.
In other developments in China’s retail sector, US sportswear company Nike said last month that it would stop major wholesale partners in China from selling its products online starting in January, directing sales instead through its own branded outlets.
Under the change, most of Nike’s 16 store partners in China – which collectively run thousands of Nike outlets – will withdraw from online sales entirely and continue only through physical retail.
Additionally, sales will instead be redirected to Nike-branded storefronts on Tmall, JD.com and Douyin, as well as its own website and app.
Separately, Swedish furniture retailer IKEA said earlier this year that it would shut seven stores across China.
The company said the closures were part of a broader effort to improve efficiency across its store network and digital operations.
