How is adidas doing in China? Last year, the German sportswear company announced its goal to establish 8500 stores in China by 2015. This year saw factory workers of a Chinese supplier to adidas protest against unfair wages and a lack of social insurance.

Consequently, adidas cancelled further orders. But is the company in trouble in the Far East?

According to the company’s official statement, adidas is doing great in China. With currently more than 7.600 stores and 2-digits growth rates, adidas claims to be the number 1 sportswear brand in China. The company continues to sponsor the annual Beijing marathon and ranks on position 14 in the Top 20 consumer brands in China, according to a survey of the BBC in 2013. The ranking also includes Volkswagen, another German brand that is highly successful on the Chinese consumer market.

The future plan of adidas sees a continuous expansion in China. While top-tier cities such as Beijing and Shanghai still remain an area of interest, adidas will focus on opening new stores in lower-tier cities until 2015. The strategy defines an enhanced product portfolio including specific equipments such as basketball apparel as well as fashion items.

Their aggressive marketing strategy is visible these days almost everywhere: promotional ads on walking streets, in metro trains and in shopping areas with straightforward claims such as “All in or nothing”, “Now or never” and “Hunt or be hunted”.