American sportswear brands Nike and adidas are facing the heat following their statements regarding their concerns over growing cotton in Xinjiang (China).
Sales of both the international brands have slumped considerably owing to Chinese consumers’ decision to boycott the brands. The consumers are instead supporting local operators.
As per media reports, the overall sales of sports apparels and footwear have fallen by 11 per cent year-on-year in April 2021 at Tmall – China’s globally renowned online site.
The fall has been majorly attributed to Chinese consumers boycotting global sportswear brands.
Individually, adidas was the biggest loser in April 2021 as it saw its online sales drop to 78 per cent compared to what it was during the same month in 2020.
Nike too didn’t have a good April as its online sales plummeted by 59 per cent, while Japanese brand Uniqlo’s sales at Tmall dropped by 21 per cent.
On the other hand, Chinese sportswear operators such as Li Ning and Anta Sports saw rise in their sales in April. While former’s sales surged by 92 per cent at Tmall, the latter too saw its sales jump by an impressive 59 per cent in April.
