“可上九天攬?jiān)?,可下五洋捉鱉”是如今的中國(guó),也是中國(guó)運(yùn)動(dòng)服飾品牌創(chuàng)下的功績(jī)。從中國(guó)南(北)極考察隊(duì)的企鵝服,到珠峰測(cè)高隊(duì)員的高海拔攀登連體羽絨服,再到中國(guó)航天員的艙內(nèi)工作服,這背后都有著同一個(gè)身影——中國(guó)戶外用品第一股探路者(300005,SZ)。
探路者自成立以來(lái),一直嚴(yán)格把控產(chǎn)品品質(zhì),并建立有效的質(zhì)量標(biāo)準(zhǔn)體系,嚴(yán)格制作并執(zhí)行內(nèi)控標(biāo)準(zhǔn)達(dá)50多項(xiàng),參與起草國(guó)家標(biāo)準(zhǔn)和行業(yè)標(biāo)準(zhǔn)25項(xiàng)。財(cái)報(bào)顯示,2020年探路者研發(fā)投入為4200余萬(wàn)元,占營(yíng)業(yè)收入比(研發(fā)強(qiáng)度)為4.63%。
“自2015年以來(lái),冰雪運(yùn)動(dòng)、冰雪文化旅游相關(guān)的產(chǎn)業(yè)迎來(lái)蓬勃發(fā)展。探路者也充分利用這一寶貴資源,通過簽約知名代言人推廣滑雪運(yùn)動(dòng)和裝備,贊助和舉辦專業(yè)、大眾滑雪賽事,參與重點(diǎn)科技項(xiàng)目等方式開展系列推廣?!痹谔铰氛呒瘓F(tuán)戶外副總裁、品牌管理部負(fù)責(zé)人韓曄看來(lái),隨著疫情常態(tài)化、東京奧運(yùn)會(huì)和北京冬奧會(huì)的相繼舉辦,大大激發(fā)了大眾對(duì)健身的需求,像探路者這樣以科技力為核心的戶外品牌正迎來(lái)“最好的時(shí)代”。
從2008北京奧運(yùn)開始十五年極致守護(hù)
早在2008年,探路者便成為唯一入選北京奧運(yùn)會(huì)特許供應(yīng)商的戶外用品企業(yè)。借助北京奧運(yùn)會(huì)的影響力,一舉拿下中國(guó)市場(chǎng)同類產(chǎn)品銷量和市場(chǎng)占有率第一寶座。
2020年,探路者參與了科技部“科技冬奧”重點(diǎn)研發(fā)計(jì)劃和“冬季運(yùn)動(dòng)與訓(xùn)練比賽高性能服裝研發(fā)關(guān)鍵技術(shù)”項(xiàng)目的兩項(xiàng)子課題。歷經(jīng)6個(gè)月研制、數(shù)十次對(duì)比測(cè)試后,共篩選出三種100%國(guó)產(chǎn)化、耐低溫、防護(hù)等級(jí)達(dá)到國(guó)際Level 1的防護(hù)材料配方。特別是根據(jù)運(yùn)動(dòng)員和保障人員實(shí)際需求,參與攻克耐低溫保障服裝的關(guān)鍵技術(shù),研發(fā)出仿鵝絨結(jié)構(gòu)的高保暖絮片,既提升了絮片的保暖性能又降低了絮片的重量,以達(dá)到輕量保暖的效果,性能優(yōu)于目前國(guó)際一線品牌產(chǎn)品15%以上。
“這些研發(fā)成果可以讓冰雪運(yùn)動(dòng)健兒在備戰(zhàn)和參加比賽時(shí),穿著具有自主研發(fā)核心技術(shù)的比賽裝備,讓工作人員、裁判、技術(shù)官員有更加輕薄且保暖的裝備保駕護(hù)航?!碧铰氛呒瘓F(tuán)副總裁韓曄表示,“同時(shí),我們希望能夠幫助大眾更科學(xué)、安全、健康地參與到冰雪健身中,助力‘三億人參與冰雪運(yùn)動(dòng)’,為群眾性冰雪運(yùn)動(dòng)及其產(chǎn)業(yè)提供更多的社會(huì)服務(wù)和科技保障。”
把握市場(chǎng)動(dòng)向打造時(shí)尚科技戶外運(yùn)動(dòng)裝備
近年,運(yùn)動(dòng)和戶外元素以及功能材料已經(jīng)成為整個(gè)時(shí)裝和服裝行業(yè)的一匹黑馬。很多休閑裝甚至男女裝都會(huì)使用到戶外服裝里一些常用的配件,比如繩扣、繩索、D字環(huán),以及拉鏈卡扣等來(lái)作為時(shí)裝的時(shí)尚要素使用。一些戶外服裝中常出現(xiàn)的口袋設(shè)計(jì)、3D立體裁剪的版型也成為了新興的設(shè)計(jì)元素。
作為中國(guó)老牌的戶外用品集團(tuán),探路者敏銳地捕捉到這一市場(chǎng)動(dòng)向,把運(yùn)動(dòng)和戶外的一些有標(biāo)識(shí)化的設(shè)計(jì)元素和功能性同大眾審美需求有效結(jié)合。期望打造出更加符合大眾審美需求,具有功能性的,更偏向于時(shí)尚化的戶外產(chǎn)品。除此之外,探路者還將尖端科技融入產(chǎn)品之中,例如將航天服中的細(xì)菌抑制技術(shù)(Tief Fresh)運(yùn)用在運(yùn)動(dòng)鞋服上、復(fù)刻南北極科考服的極地防寒服,以及與中國(guó)航天合作的“航天探路者”聯(lián)名系列時(shí)尚產(chǎn)品,都得到了市場(chǎng)的廣泛好評(píng)。
中國(guó)品牌強(qiáng)勁發(fā)展沉著應(yīng)對(duì)市場(chǎng)挑戰(zhàn)
改革開放四十年來(lái),隨著我國(guó)綜合實(shí)力和國(guó)際話語(yǔ)權(quán)的提升,以及體育綜合實(shí)力的增強(qiáng),中國(guó)運(yùn)動(dòng)品牌整體上有了飛速的進(jìn)步。在企業(yè)規(guī)模、科技創(chuàng)新、品牌塑造、市場(chǎng)份額等方面都有了和國(guó)際品牌競(jìng)爭(zhēng)的資本,在國(guó)內(nèi)外大型賽事的現(xiàn)場(chǎng)也有著越來(lái)越多的中國(guó)運(yùn)動(dòng)品牌出現(xiàn)。
在發(fā)展階段和防控疫情常態(tài)化、中外大型體育賽事集中舉辦的背景下,體育用品業(yè)擁有利于發(fā)展的宏觀環(huán)境的同時(shí),一場(chǎng)市場(chǎng)話語(yǔ)權(quán)爭(zhēng)奪戰(zhàn)也悄然打響。面對(duì)來(lái)自國(guó)際國(guó)內(nèi)品牌兩個(gè)方面的激烈競(jìng)爭(zhēng),韓曄表示探路者將從三個(gè)方面做戰(zhàn)略部署:首先是實(shí)施‘多品牌’戰(zhàn)略。目前公司的品牌矩陣由Toread(主品牌)、Toread.X(運(yùn)動(dòng)時(shí)尚品牌)、Discovery和Toread kids(童裝品牌)構(gòu)成。四個(gè)品牌滿足不同細(xì)分市場(chǎng)的各類需求,為消費(fèi)者提供科技化、專業(yè)化、時(shí)尚化的運(yùn)動(dòng)裝備。其次是打造‘國(guó)之重器’。與國(guó)家重大戰(zhàn)略合作,如中國(guó)航天、南北極科考、珠峰測(cè)高。探路者的裝備隨著神舟、天舟飛船升上太空,搭乘雪龍?zhí)柕诌_(dá)南北極,極致保護(hù)測(cè)高隊(duì)員登頂珠峰。相關(guān)合作不僅積極對(duì)接了國(guó)家戰(zhàn)略,也增強(qiáng)了公司的科技研發(fā)能力,提升了公司品牌形象和美譽(yù)度。最后是注重自主科技研發(fā)。從2008年探路者研發(fā)中心創(chuàng)立,目前中心面積已超7000㎡,是亞洲最大的戶外運(yùn)動(dòng)研發(fā)中心。僅在2020年,公司就獲得了20項(xiàng)行業(yè)大獎(jiǎng),取得專利共8項(xiàng)。其中自主研發(fā)的極地仿生科技Tief得到了深化發(fā)展,已取得了包括防水透濕科技、防曬科技、干爽科技、保暖科技、多功能防護(hù)科技、涼感科技、防靜電科技、智能光變科技等多項(xiàng)自主研發(fā)成果。這些科技也讓探路者在激烈的市場(chǎng)競(jìng)爭(zhēng)中能夠脫穎而出。
機(jī)遇與挑戰(zhàn)并存數(shù)字賦能或成新前景
“從需求側(cè)來(lái)看,更多人參與冰雪運(yùn)動(dòng)意味著更多的需求和更大的市場(chǎng)。目前來(lái)看,許多參與者還屬于初次體驗(yàn)和初級(jí)消費(fèi)階段,培養(yǎng)大眾對(duì)滑雪運(yùn)動(dòng)的喜好和消費(fèi)的不斷升級(jí)是各方面需要共同努力的;從供給側(cè)來(lái)看,裝備制造商要以顧客需求為導(dǎo)向,注重細(xì)分市場(chǎng),抓住‘三億人參與冰雪’帶來(lái)的良好機(jī)遇。
受新冠肺炎疫情影響,許多中高端消費(fèi)回流至國(guó)內(nèi),為國(guó)內(nèi)品牌提供了機(jī)遇?!半p循環(huán)”新格局、體育強(qiáng)國(guó)建設(shè)和健康中國(guó)戰(zhàn)略、人均可支配收入的提高、疫情引發(fā)大眾對(duì)健康需求的提升給體育用品業(yè)提供了利于發(fā)展的環(huán)境。但同時(shí),疫情導(dǎo)致的停工停產(chǎn)、經(jīng)濟(jì)下行,以及國(guó)際品牌的競(jìng)爭(zhēng)和能否順利完成數(shù)字化轉(zhuǎn)型,都將成為本土品牌未來(lái)將要面臨的重要挑戰(zhàn)。在這個(gè)機(jī)遇與挑戰(zhàn)并存的時(shí)代,只有不斷創(chuàng)新、提升品牌實(shí)力、把握好“變”與“不變”才能夠穩(wěn)步前行。
“戶外運(yùn)動(dòng)產(chǎn)品將借助中國(guó)冰雪運(yùn)動(dòng)的蓬勃發(fā)展繼續(xù)提升消費(fèi)黏性,未來(lái)將會(huì)結(jié)合人工智能、虛擬現(xiàn)實(shí)等技術(shù),以及元宇宙概念下運(yùn)動(dòng)新場(chǎng)景,注重科技創(chuàng)新和數(shù)字賦能的應(yīng)用?!睂?duì)于探路者今后之路,韓曄說(shuō)。
Chinese sportswear brands have made remarkable achievements in recent years. From the penguin suit of China’s South (North) Polar expedition, to the one-piece down jacket of the Everest surveying team, and the cabin work clothes of Chinese astronauts, there is the same figure — Chinese outdoor brand TOREAD (300005, SZ).
Since its establishment, TOREAD has been strictly controlling product quality and establishing an effective quality standard system, strictly producing and implementing more than 50 internal control standards, and participating in drafting 25 national and industrial standards. TOREAD’s R&D investment in 2020 was more than 42 million yuan, accounting for 4.63 percent of its operating revenue, according to the financial report.
“Since winning the bid in 2015, the Beijing 2022 Olympic Winter Games has generated huge business opportunities, with booming industries related to winter sports and culture tourism. TOREAD also makes full use of this valuable resource to promote skiing and equipment by signing well-known spokespersons, sponsoring and holding professional and mass skiing events, and participating in key scientific and technological projects.” In the view of Han Ye, vice president and director of brand management department of TOREAD, with the normalization of the pandemic and the holding of the Tokyo Olympic Games and Beijing 2022 Olympic Winter Games, the public’s demand for fitness has been greatly stimulated, and outdoor brands like TOREAD, which take science and technology as the core, are ushering in the best era.
From Beijing 2008 Olympic Games to High-tech Olympics, fifteen years of technological innovation
As early as 2008, TOREAD became the only outdoor products company selected as the official supplier for the Beijing Olympic Games. With the influence of the Beijing Olympic Games, it won the first place in the sales and market share of similar products in the Chinese market.
TOREAD participated in two sub-projects of the Key Research and Development Plan of High-tech Olympics of the Ministry of Science and Technology and the Key Technology of Research and Development of High-performance Clothing for Winter Sports and Training Competitions in 2020. After 6 months of development and dozens of comparative tests, three kinds of 100 percent domestic protective material formulations with low temperature resistance and international Level 1 protection grade were screened out. In particular, TOREAD participated in the development of key technology for low-temperature resistance clothing, and developed the interlining for warming batts of goose down-like structure according to the actual needs of athletes and support personnel, which not only improves the warmth retention performance of wadding but also reduces the weight of wadding, so as to achieve the effect of lightweight and warmth retention. The performance is more than 15 percent better than the current international first-line brand products.
“The research and development results will enable athletes to wear competition equipment with self-developed core technologies when preparing for and participating in competitions, so that staff, referees and technical officials can have lighter and warmer equipment.” “Meanwhile, we hope to support 300 Million People Participate in Winter Sports in a more scientific, safe and healthy way, and provide more social services and scientific and technological support for mass winter sports and its industry,” Han Ye said.
Grasp market trends, to create fashionable technology outdoor sports equipment
Sports and outdoor elements and functional materials have become a dark horse in the apparel industry in recent years. Many casual wear and even men’s and women’s wear use some accessories commonly used in outdoor clothing as fashion elements, such as buckles, D-rings, and zipper. The pocket design and 3D draping that often appear in some outdoor clothing have also become emerging design elements.
As a well-known outdoor goods group in China, TOREAD has keenly captured the market trend and effectively combined some iconic design elements and functions of sports and outdoor with the aesthetic needs of the public. They hope to create outdoor products that are more in line with the aesthetic needs of the public, functional and more in fashion. In addition, TOREAD incorporates cutting-edge technology into its products, such as the bacterial inhibition technology (TiEf Fresh) of space suit were used in sports shoes and sportswear, and the fashion products jointly named Space&TOREAD in cooperation with China Aerospace, which have been widely praised by the market.
Chinese brands enjoy strong growth, calmly respond to market challenges
Over the past 40 years of reform and opening up, with the improvement of China’s comprehensive strength and international voice, as well as the enhancement of the comprehensive strength of sports, Chinese sports brands have made rapid progress and competed with international brands in terms of enterprise scale, scientific and technological innovation, brand building and market share. More and more Chinese sports brands appear on the scene of largescale events at home and abroad.
In the new stage of development, with the normalization of pandemic prevention and control, and the hosting of Tokyo Olympic Games and Beijing 2022 Olympic Winter Games, the sporting goods industry has a favorable macro environment for development, while a battle for market discourse power also started. Facing the fierce competition from international and domestic brands, Han Ye said that TOREAD made strategic deployment from three aspects: the first is to implement the multi-brand strategy. The company’s current brand matrix consists of TOREAD (main brand), TOREAD.X(sports and fashion brand), Discovery and TOREAD Kids(children’s wear brand). The four brands meet the various needs of different market segments and provide consumers with scientific, professional and fashionable sports equipment. The second is to serve the major national strategies, such as China Aerospace, Arctic and Antarctic Scientific Expedition, Everest surveying. TOREAD’s equipment went up into space with the Shenzhou and Tianzhou spacecraft, and travelled by the Xue Long to the North and South Pole, and protected surveying team to reach the summit of Mount Qomolangma. Related cooperation not only positively matches the national strategy, but also enhances the company’s scientific and technological research and development capabilities, and enhances the company’s brand image and reputation. Finally, to focus on independent scientific and technological research and development. TOREAD R&D Center was established in 2008, with an area of over 7,000 square meters, which is the largest outdoor sports R&D center in Asia. The company won 20 industry awards and obtained a total of 8 patents in 2020 alone, among which, TiEf, the polar bionic technology independently developed, has been further developed, and has achieved a number of independent research and development achievements, including waterproof and moisture permeability technology, sun protection technology, warmth retention technology, multifunctional protection technology, cooling technology, anti-static technology, intelligent light change technology and so on. These technologies also support TOREAD stand out from the fierce market competition.
Opportunities and challenges coexist, digital empowerment to bring new prospects to companies
“From the demand side, more people participating in winter sports means more demand and a bigger market. Many par- ticipants still belong to the initial experience and primary consumption stage at present, to cultivate the public’s preference for winter sports and the continuous upgrading of consumption is the joint efforts of all aspects; from the supply side, equipment manufacturers should be customer-oriented, pay attention to market segmentation, seize the good opportunities brought by the Beijing 2022 Olympic Winter Games, but also strengthen the ‘post-Olympic Winter Games era’ market research and judgment.”
Many mid - and high-end consumption has returned to China due to the COVID-19 pandemic, providing opportunities for domestic brands. The new pattern of double circulation, the construction of sports power and the Healthy China strategy, the increase of per capita disposable income, and the improvement of public health demand caused by the pandemic have provided a favorable environment for the development of the sporting goods industry. But at the same time, the shutdown and economic downturn caused by the pandemic, as well as the competition of international brands and whether the digital transformation can be successfully complete, will become important challenges for local brands in the future. In the era of opportunities and challenges, only by constantly innovating, enhancing brand strength, and grasping “change”and “unchanged” can we move forward steadily.
“Outdoor sports products will continue to enhance consumer stickiness through cultural communication of winter sports with the influence of the hot spots of the Olympic Winter Games. In the future, TOREAD will combine artificial intelligence, virtual reality and other technologies, as well as new sports scenes in the concept of Metaverse, and pay attention to the application of technological innovation and digital empowerment.” This is what Han Ye says about TOREAD’s future.
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