More than a decade before opening its first directly operated store in Europe, Chinese outdoor apparel company Kailas began its international expansion efforts. The Guangzhou-based group, established in 2003 initially as a mountaineering and climbing brand, ventured into the trail-running market with its Kailas Fuga line. This shift aligns with growing consumer interest in outdoor activities in China, despite broader pressures on domestic consumer confidence.
The recent launch of Kailas Fuga’s store in Chamonix, France, marks the brand’s initial retail footprint outside China, where its products are already sold in hundreds of outlets across Europe, North America, and other regions. The trail-running segment is a key focus for Kailas, with Fuga accounting for roughly 30 of the company’s 350 stores within mainland China. The brand positions itself at the premium end of the market, with trail-running gear such as vests and shoes retailing at prices comparable to established international competitors.
Founder Baggio Zhong, who was left paraplegic after a skiing accident in 2014, has been a driving force behind the company’s international ambitions. Shortly after his hospitalization, Zhong attended a European trade fair to introduce Kailas’s products to overseas buyers. He attributes his early passion for mountain sports to emerging online forums that helped illuminate mountaineering culture in China, a market previously unfamiliar with the activity.
Kailas’s overseas presence centers on trail-running, a sport and market still relatively small in Europe, according to Zhong. He emphasized that Kailas aims not to displace existing brands but to collaborate in promoting trail running globally. The company sponsors numerous races internationally, including the annual Penyagolosa Trails in Spain, and supports some 60 professional trail runners, about half of whom are European.
The expansion of Chinese outdoor brands like Kailas comes amid a broader trend of increased international activity by Chinese companies across various sectors. For instance, Fujian-based apparel conglomerate Anta has made significant investments in foreign sports brands, including owning Finnish Amer Sports and acquiring a 29 percent stake in Puma earlier this year. Experts note that the manufacturing bases that China developed during previous decades are now generating global competitors, signaling a shift in the international retail landscape.
Kailas’s supply chain roots trace back to relationships with manufacturers who previously produced high-quality gear for U.S. outdoor brand Patagonia, which until recently did not have a presence in China. In earlier years, Kailas’s domestic pricing strategy was built around lower wages and a competitive cost advantage. However, this has evolved as the brand moves into more premium price brackets, with some models retailing at around €250.
The COVID-19 pandemic and associated lockdowns in China have influenced consumer behavior, driving a renewed interest in outdoor activities as restrictions eased, particularly outside urban centers. Zhong himself continues to engage in outdoor pursuits using adaptive equipment and has launched a wheelchair company with a partner, reflecting his personal journey adjusting to life after his injury.
Kailas faces established European competitors like Mammut and Haglöfs but believes the trail-running market in Europe offers growth opportunities. As the company seeks to establish a foothold abroad, it aims to illustrate that Chinese outdoor brands can compete in premium segments on the global stage, an arena where few such companies have traditionally succeeded.