Client engagements are held in confidence and shown here only in anonymized form. The public analysis and frameworks below come out of the same work, and they are where most people first come across the practice.
Engagements are shown in anonymized form. Client work is held in confidence.
ESPN reports the deal at more than US$400 million over ten years. The sell-side break-even runs on signature shoe volume, the one piece of the deal everyone can see and the smallest piece of what it creates. Why the signature was never meant to pay, where the volume and margin actually sit, and what Curry is worth beyond the shoe.
A structural read on Nike China 2026 from inside the category. Seven consecutive quarters of decline alongside rising profitability, accelerated marketplace cleanup, and Nike's largest distributor walking from a flagship lease. Why the configuration of assets, more than the assets themselves, determines whether they reach the Chinese consumer.
Three layers of capability, two structural jumps, and one acquisition gate. Why Anta succeeded with FILA and Amer Sports, why BenQ-Siemens collapsed, and the strategic blind spot inside Nike and Adidas's asset-light bet.
Four archetypes for the brands gaining ground in China sportswear. Anta acquires, Li-Ning concentrates, On specializes, Adidas localizes. Why Nike fits none of them, and why that gap is structural.
A framework for understanding why On, Arc'teryx, and Lululemon hold pricing power in China while heritage brands discount. The shift from knowledge badges to behavior badges.
Why global brands keep making costly mistakes in China, and what the shift from expansion to consolidation means for APAC brand strategy.
With 400 million active participants, China's sportswear market is shifting from aspiration to participation. How brands are winning the 300-800 RMB price zone.
China's first running boom was brand-led. The second one is consumer-built. What that shift means for Nike, Anta, Li-Ning, and every brand competing for runners.
How government policy, middle-class aspiration, and brand strategy are converging in China's fastest-growing sport category.
Chinese women moved from aesthetic fitness to high-intensity training faster than any brand's product cycle. Who's catching up and who's falling behind.
Adidas designs 70% of China apparel locally. Anta acquires Puma and opens in Beverly Hills. Global brands go local, Chinese brands go global. The competitive map redrawn.
The sneaker boom is over in China. With 200 million gig workers and youth unemployment at 17%, comfort and function now drive footwear demand.
A named expert source on China consumer and sports markets for Bloomberg, The Wall Street Journal, Reuters, Nikkei Asia, the BBC, Footwear News, and Het Financieele Dagblad. Shorter analysis and earnings reactions run on LinkedIn.
The work and the frameworks here come from the same thinking applied inside client engagements. When a public piece lands close to a situation you're navigating, the most direct next step is a conversation.