Conduit Asia advises sport and lifestyle brands on Asia, from the operating side.

“Macao can deliver a high-profile hospitality and entertainment weekend but the harder question is whether that concentrated event translates into everyday basketball engagement in inland cities.”

“Pulling third-party online distribution back by 2027 removes a layer that trained shoppers to chase discounts,” but “relevance still must catch up.”

“The people setting the pace are the ones who built it. Whether they can hold that when the investors want growth is the open question.”

“My read is that Nike is trying to regain pricing power online.”

Named source throughout the FT’s Qiaodan profile, describing the growing clout of Chinese sportswear brands as “a permanent change” in the market.

“It all goes back to how the consumer perceives what kind of value they want to get from a shoe.”

“This is the right thing to do, especially at this moment. Otherwise, the consumer will always expect the discounted Nike product.”

Cited on how local brands build their campaigns around China’s domestic running calendar and win local racers on price.

“Calls to switch to domestic brands tend to be loud and short. The cost that matters is the slower one, a loss of the brand affection Lululemon has been building.”