Fierce competition and shifting tastes squeeze China’s yoga apparel market

China’s yoga apparel market is grappling with fierce competition and slowing growth amid sluggish domestic consumption, as middle-class shoppers diversify their activities, according to analysts.Lululemon, the Canadian athletic apparel brand popular among China’s middle class, continues to face sales pressure in the world’s second-largest consumer market.Lululemon’s same-store sales growth at sampled Chinese shopping malls dropped 4 per cent year on year in May, compared with a 3 per cent decline in April and a 6 per cent fall in the first quarter, according to data from Shanghai-based consulting firm Meritco Services.Widespread discussions were also sparked among consumers in China in April when Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton launched an investigation into whether the company used harmful chemicals in its apparel.“Competition in the yoga apparel segment has intensified,” said Sammi Xu, Deutsche Bank’s head of China consumer discretionary research.“While product materials and designs are no longer perceived as highly differentiated by consumers, emerging sports categories such as outdoor activities, Hyrox and tennis are increasingly attracting middle-class attention,” Xu said.An Alo Yoga clothing store at a shopping mall in Houston, Texas. Photo: Shutterstock