German sportswear company Adidas in 2022 launched a Chinese-style red jacket exclusively for the Chinese market. Formula One fan Carmen Pacios flew all the way from Spain to Shanghai to watch the 2026 Chinese Grand Prix. Apart from experiencing the thrilling speed and exciting atmosphere at the Shanghai International Circuit, she and her family members found time to tour the city’s downtown area. At an Adidas store, she immediately spotted something she wanted to buy. “There’s so much cool Chinese stuff,” Pacios said. “I saw a lot of people wearing the Adidas Chinese-style red jackets. I think they only sell them in China and I really wanted to get one.” With distinctive knot buttons and an upright collar it went viral online, with many influencers and celebrities wearing it in public, including some of the visiting F1 drivers.
Guo Aijie, Senior Sales Manager at Adidas’ brand center on Shanghai’s East Nanjing Road, said the Chinese-style jacket was popular with consumers of all ages, back- grounds and nationalities. On January 1, several hundred people lined up in front of the store to buy the latest version. “Our store opens at 10 am, but on New Year’s Day, I was truly shocked by the number of people, most of them foreigners, waiting outside for the doors to open,” said Guo. “About 1,000 units of the product were sold that day, setting a single-day sales record for the special series at the store.” The jacket represents a growing trend of foreign brands shifting from “Made in China” to “Made for China”.
Multinational companies have been rolling out products and designs tailored specifically for the Chinese market. This move has not only helped secure their success in China, but also provided momentum for their global growth. The Adidas’ Creation Center Shanghai (CCS) is responsible for more than 60% of the company’s products in the Chinese market. Adidas said the center’s long-term focus is on Chinese culture and the rise of China-chic trends. Designers turned their attention to the traditional Chinese knot button, a distinctive cultural element, to give subsequent designs of the jacket – which has become one of the brand’s outstanding products – a local twist.
Lan Tian, Senior Analyst at Euromonitor said China’s consumer market has undergone structural changes in recent years, and the increased efforts to provide customized products are an inevitable choice for multinationals. “In the past, the core appeal of the Chinese market lay in its scale and growth rate, which makes it possible to achieve rapid growth through simply launching standard products. However, as the market matures, growth now depends on segmented customer groups, differentiated scenarios, and shifts in lifestyle,” explained Lan. “China’s advantages in retail infrastructure, digital capabilities, and supply chains’ quick responses have made it both feasible and cost-controllable for multinational companies to conduct highly localized operations,” Lan said. The Chinese market is undergoing a transition from a receiver of global products into an important market that is deeply integrated in terms of product design, sales models, and corporate values. This shift has raised overall expectations for efficiency, consumer experience, and organizational capabilities in China’s consumer market.
Spanish fashion retailer Inditex, owner of brands such as Zara, is another global player exporting initiatives first introduced in China. A global company with stores in over 90 markets and an online reach in more than 200 markets, Inditex has launched a variety of collaborative products and experiences over the years, which integrate Chinese cultural elements and foster deeper connections with Chinese customers. Eugenio Bregolat, President of Inditex China, said examples include collaborations with local designer brands to launch co-branded series, and partnering with renowned Chinese artists to debut global co-branded collections. In April 2025, a collection co-branded with artist Lin Fanglu debuted in China and was simultaneously released in international markets, including Spain, the UK, Italy, Japan and South Korea.
“It is also noteworthy that since 2016, Zara has consistently launched zodiac-themed sweater collections in the Chinese market for 10 consecutive years, reinterpreting ‘zodiac culture’ through a modern fashion lens and establishing a significant tradition for the brand to celebrate the Chinese New Year with local customers,” said Bregolat. Inspired by China’s live-streaming boom, Zara introduced “show style” live-streaming in China in November 2023. Combining the immersive feel of a fashion show with the real- time interaction of live broadcasts, it received positive market feedback. The brand later promoted the live-streaming concept in other mar- kets, including the UK, the United States, and parts of Europe via Zara Streaming.
Pontus Erntell, CEO, President and Chief Sustainability Officer (CSO) of Ikea China, said over the past 28 years the company has always closely followed the evolving needs of Chinese consumers. The Swedish home furnishings and furniture retailer tries to offer products, home solutions, and retail experiences tailored to diverse lifestyles in China, which can also be offered as a “treat” for global consumers. “A long-term product series co-created with China, the Chinese New Year collection, was launched globally by Ikea, reflecting our confidence in China, for China, and in co-creating with China,” Erntell said, as reported by the China Daily.
