Anta Sports Products has marked its U.S. debut in Beverly Hills.
The Chinese sportswear giant opened its first U.S. flagship store Feb. 13 on North Beverly Drive, nestled between Scandia Home and one of Anta’s own subsidiaries, Wilson Sporting Goods. Anta soared into international prominence after acquiring a majority stake in Finnish sportswear company Amer Sports in 2019 for approximately $5.2 billion, taking brands such as Arc’teryx, Salomon, Atomic and Wilson under its wing.
“Opening our first U.S. flagship in Beverly Hills is a defining moment for Anta,” said Samuel Tsui, Anta brands’ chief executive, in a statement. “This store represents our commitment to the U.S. market and our belief that sport, culture and performance innovation belong on the world’s biggest stages. Beverly Hills is the perfect home for that vision.”
Major player
Anta is coming up as a major player in sportswear. It acquired a nearly 29.1% stake in Puma from the Pinault family last month, sealing the $1.8 billion deal and stepping up as the German brand’s largest stakeholder. Statista ranked Puma as the fourth-leading sportswear company in the world by 2024 revenue. Analysts noted that with Anta’s expanding global portfolio, the company is challenging established giants Nike and Adidas.
“ANTA is still a relatively small player but is learning to take on the Nikes at its own game,” wrote The Robin Report’s Glyn Atwal. “It is a brand to watch as Chinese brands are known to play the long game.”
