BRIEF: Anta to open first U.S. store in Beverly Hills

Leading sportswear maker Anta Sports Products Ltd. (2020.HK) is preparing to enter the U.S. market with a store in Los Angeles, extending its expansion outside China. The store is still under construction in the city of Beverly Hills, and is slated to open in September, according to a report last week in Vogue Business.

The company plans to use NBA players Kyrie Irving and Klay Thompson as brand ambassadors to build awareness about its products in the U.S., according to the report. The opening will mark the latest step outside China for Anta, which already operates stores in Southeast Asia.

The company is already represented in the U.S. through its ownership of Amer Sports (AS.US), whose brands include well-known Western names like Descente, Wilson and Arc’teryx. But the store would be the first in the U.S. offering the company’s core Anta-branded products, which compete in China with global names like Nike and Adidas.

By Doug Young

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