Sportswear in Thailand

PROSPECTS

Increased participation in sports and other physical activities and rising interest in fashionable sports-inspired apparel and footwear support sportswear growth

Increasingly health-conscious Thai consumers have become determined to engage in exercise, sports and other physical activities, and they put more effort into making some form of outdoor and indoor exercise a daily routine. In addition to traditionally popular sports in the country such as boxing and kick volleyball, running (marathons), cycling and triathlons are among the activities that are becoming more popular, and there is a growing abundance of new, technologically improved performance footwear and apparel on offer in Thailand to meet players’ needs.

Sportswear offer and availability expands with newcomer brands and product innovations, many of which were visible at the Platform 66 Street Festival

The sportswear offer and availability has expanded in many directions in Thailand, partly due to newcomers such as Hoka and Altra, with their lines of running shoes available through such e-commerce sites as Runnercart and Supersports as well as in selected outlets, and to Mc 1, from the leading Mc Jeans brand, which has expanded its product line (non-denim) to include sportswear named “UP” for sporty fashion apparel. There also was some expansion due to product innovation, such as Under Armour’s Rush collection of sportswear apparel for men and women made with mineral-infused fabric for more durability and Asics METARIDE, a long-distance, high-performance running shoe using FLYTEFOAM® Propel technology in the sole for “increased bounce and toe-off”.

Women’s interest in fashion increasingly extends to fashionable sportswear

Thai women are more fashion conscious than men are, and their interest in fashion has extended to sportswear. As women are more often engaging in physical exercise and outdoor activities, they are increasingly demanding well-designed swimming suits, sports bras and workout pants, among other sportswear apparel.

COMPETITIVE LANDSCAPE

JD Sports, UK-based distributor of street-style and sports fashion clothing, opens its first flagship store in Thailand, making it the company’s third branch in Asia

Towards the end of 2018 the multibrand retailer JD Sports, a UK-based worldwide distributor of street-style and sports fashion clothing, apparel, shoes and accessories for consumers of all ages, opened its first flagship store, ICONSIAM, in Thailand. ICONSIAM is the company’s third branch in Asia, the others being in Malaysia and Singapore.

Domestic women’s fitness brand gains traction with highly promoted collection targeting women from 25-40 years old

Wakingbee is a domestic fitness brand for women targeting women from 25-40 years old that has gained traction in Thailand, where it has been highly promoted online and in social media. The popularity of the company’s special spring/summer 2019 collection of women’s sportswear is a reflection of the high interest Thai women have developed in outdoor play and physical exercise.

Decathlon opens the first ever standalone store in Phuket at Bukis Phuket and its largest store ever in the Bang Phli district of Samut Prakan Province

The French sporting goods retailer Decathlon was very active in Thailand late in 2019. On top of having opened its 10th branch in the country and the first ever standalone store in Phuket, at Bukis Phuket early in the year, the company opened its largest (3,100 sq m) ever store in a standalone format in late summer.

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