Outdoor Sports &
Bikes in China
More than 400 million people in China now participate in outdoor sports. Cycling, hiking, camping, and trail running have gone from niche activities to a national lifestyle movement — and the gear market is growing to match.
From Niche Hobby to National Movement
China's outdoor sports industry recorded over 335,000 registered enterprises as of mid-2025, with outdoor spending accounting for 27% of total sports investment nationwide.
What started as a post-pandemic fallback — people going outside because gyms closed and flights were cancelled — has become a permanent shift in how Chinese consumers spend their time and money. The under-35 crowd is leading the charge, trading screen time for trail time. And the market has followed: outdoor apparel sales have doubled in five years, with foreign brands taking a serious share.
Where the Growth Is
China's outdoor boom spans multiple categories, each with its own growth dynamics and consumer demographics.
Camping & Outdoor Recreation
Camping exploded during COVID — first as curated glamping, then full DIY weekends. Social feeds filled with campsite walk-throughs, packing lists, and tent hauls. Being outside became its own form of content, and in China, content drives everything.
The trend extends to outdoor cooking, portable equipment, and accessories. Online sales of camping inflatable beds surged 50% and camping pillows jumped 100% year-on-year.
Tent sales doubled since 2021Hiking & Trail Running
Hiking has become the go-to remedy for digital burnout among urban professionals. Trail running is growing even faster — the online market for mountaineering and trail shoes climbed to nearly $500 million in 2024, up 52% from the year before.
On Little Red Book (Xiaohongshu), cycling-related searches rose 60% in Shanghai alone after the city's reopening. The "hiking" hashtag generated 22 million views on the platform with a 230% year-on-year increase.
Trail shoes up 52% YoYCycling & Bikes
China’s bicycle market reached $10.3 billion in 2025 and is projected to hit $19.8 billion by 2033 at an 8.5% CAGR. Sports bicycle sales surged 18% year-on-year, with smart e-bikes up 25%. The total bicycle industry output value exceeded 300 billion yuan ($42.9 billion) by the end of 2024.
Serious hobbyists spend between 70,000 and 100,000 RMB ($10,000–15,000) on a single bicycle. Cycling apparel sales on Tmall surged 390% during the 618 shopping festival.
$10.3B market — 8.5% CAGRWinter Sports & Skiing
The 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics left a lasting infrastructure legacy. Ice and snow sports now rank among the most popular outdoor activities in China. The Chongli ski area near Beijing drew 5.1 million visitors in summer 2025 alone — more than in winter — showing the year-round potential of mountain destinations.
The government's goal of engaging 300 million people in winter sports has been met ahead of schedule, creating a permanent base of consumers who need gear, apparel, and accessories.
300M+ winter sports participants"The outdoor sports product market in China has tremendous potential. That forecast is a bit conservative."— Dong Li, VP of VF Asia & MD of The North Face Asia Pacific
The Cycling Boom, Up Close
Cycling has emerged as the breakout segment of China's outdoor revolution. Here's what the numbers look like on the platforms that matter.
From Commute to Community
Whether it's the 260-kilometer coastal greenway in Shenzhen or the legendary 100-kilometer "cycling loop" around Chengdu, cycling has become a lifestyle, a social hub, and a driver of consumer spending in Chinese cities.
Chengdu alone has a cycling population exceeding two million, with daily shared-bike rides surpassing 2.2 million — the highest in China. In the first half of 2025, cycling-fueled sports spending in Chengdu was projected to hit 41 billion yuan.
Foreign Brands on Tmall
American brands Specialized and Trek are among eight cycling brands that have each surpassed 100 million RMB ($14.2 million) in sales on Tmall. The number of cycling brands on the platform grew 50.4% between August 2023 and August 2024.
Premium cycling apparel brands like Rapha have built a following through community events and ride culture. Chinese competitors like MBO and GRC are emerging but still lack the cultural currency of established international names.
Foreign Brands Winning in China
At least six international outdoor and sportswear brands generate over $500 million annually in China. Mid-sized, niche brands from across Europe, North America, and Asia Pacific are all finding growth — through local partners, subsidiaries, or cross-border e-commerce.
Cross-Border E-Commerce for Outdoor Brands
Cross-Border E-Commerce (CBEC) allows foreign outdoor and cycling brands to sell directly to Chinese consumers through platforms like Tmall Global — without setting up a local company, without a Chinese business license, and without domestic product certifications.
Products are shipped to bonded warehouses in China and delivered to customers within 3–5 days. The entire process — from store setup to first sale — can be completed in 6 to 12 weeks with the right partner.
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No Chinese Entity Required
Sell in China using your existing foreign company. No WFOE, no joint venture, no Chinese business license needed.
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Skip Domestic Certification
Outdoor equipment and sporting goods sold via CBEC are exempt from domestic CCC certification requirements for most product categories.
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Tax Advantages
Cross-border purchases benefit from reduced import duties and VAT. The combined tax rate is typically 9.1% — lower than standard import channels.
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Premium Positioning
Chinese consumers associate cross-border products with authenticity and quality. Foreign outdoor brands command price premiums of 20–50% over domestic alternatives.
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Fast Market Entry
A Tmall Global store can go live in 6–12 weeks. Test the market, validate demand, and scale without the upfront cost and risk of a full domestic setup.
Official Tmall Partner Agency
Learn how cross-border e-commerce works and what it costs to launch on Tmall.
Your brand's China team — from market research to daily store operations.
From market research and regulatory assessment to Tmall store setup, daily operations, campaign management, and logistics coordination — we handle your entire China outdoor sports and cycling launch.
International leadership. Local execution. One partner for your outdoor brand's China e-commerce operation — no middlemen, no scattered vendors.