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Tag: Champion

  • Champion Unveils Culture-Infused Flagship Redesign in Chengdu: A Fusion of Sportswear Heritage and Local Crafting Traditions

    Champion Unveils Culture-Infused Flagship Redesign in Chengdu: A Fusion of Sportswear Heritage and Local Crafting Traditions

    Renowned sportswear brand, Champion, recently revealed the reimagined design of its flagship store located in Chengdu’s Yingjia Plaza, China. The refurbished two-story establishment beautifully integrates Champion’s established American roots with the traditional bamboo-weaving artistry inherent to Chengdu.

    Infusing Traditional Elements into Modern Retail

    The ground floor of the store is effused with textures inspired by bamboo, complementing the brand’s trademark collegiate and sporty themes. This strategic integration of bamboo textures illustrates Champion’s commitment to incorporating Chengdu’s cultural essence into its retail spaces.

    The upper level of the store incorporates an interactive model, highlighting a two-story sweatshirt exhibit and a DIY zone. The latter allows customers to partake in bamboo-weaving activities, such as making coasters, exemplifying the city’s rich artisanal history.

    Embracing Local Culture in a Global Brand

    Champion’s store redesign embodies the brand’s endeavour to adjust its retail spaces to reflect local culture whilst preserving its trademark Reverse Weave sweatshirt technique, a crucial component of the brand’s legacy. The Chengdu location serves as one of the first instances of this innovative approach.

    Established in 1919, Champion has been steadily revising its retail tactic in China to offer more interactive, culturally-embedded experiences. The Chengdu flagship is anticipated to serve as an archetype for future store revamps as the brand progressively aligns its global identity with local relevance.

    In the previous year, Champion was acquired by Authentic Brands Group from HanesBrands for a staggering US$1.2 billion, indicating the company’s persistent emphasis on broadening its influence in prime markets, including China.

    Questions & Answers

    What is the unique aspect of Champion’s renovated flagship store in Chengdu?
    The store’s redesign blends Champion’s American heritage with traditional elements of Chengdu, particularly bamboo-weaving.

    What interactive features does the store offer to customers?
    The store contains a DIY area where visitors can engage in bamboo-weaving activities, such as making coasters, reflecting Chengdu’s artisanal heritage.

    What strategy is Champion adopting for its retail spaces in China?
    Champion is focusing on providing more interactive experiences that are grounded in local culture, while maintaining its global identity.

  • BAT Vietnam Honored as People Champion at Vietnam Excellence 2025 Awards

    BAT Vietnam Honored as People Champion at Vietnam Excellence 2025 Awards

    As Vietnam’s business environment evolves dramatically, the Anphabe’s Vietnam Excellence Awards 2025 report paints a vivid picture of the challenges ahead. From fluctuating markets to sweeping organizational restructurings and a rapidly changing talent landscape, companies are compelled to rethink their strategies. In this turmoil, one key insight stands out: sustainable success hinges not just on sound strategies but on how companies empower and value their workforce. The frontrunners in this shift are integrating digital transformation, hybrid work models, and well-being initiatives while redefining leadership to drive resilience and growth.

    Leading the Charge

    BAT Vietnam is not merely adapting; it’s pioneering a purpose-driven and inclusive approach. With bold leadership at its helm, BAT Vietnam is cultivating an environment where everyone can flourish. This transformation began with a candid conversation initiated by Cluster General Manager Daniel Hsu, who rallied the Vietnam Leadership Team (VLT) around a commitment to lead with authenticity, empathy, and collective purpose. This initiative, dubbed the People Leadership Commitment, reframes leadership as a shared mission prioritizing people development alongside business growth—the heart of BAT Vietnam’s operations.

    A Culture of Inclusion

    At BAT Vietnam, inclusion transcends policy; it’s woven into the fabric of the corporate identity. In 2024, the company celebrated reaching 47% female representation in management roles, a milestone achieved through strategic workforce planning and robust inclusion training programs. These include courses like Mastering Inclusion and Respect in the Workplace, successfully completed by all managers.

    Personalized Growth Journeys

    To ensure effective employee engagement, BAT Vietnam introduced Growth Conversations, encapsulating personalized life stage interviews that align individual aspirations with corporate goals. This unique approach has resulted in over 150 transformative discussions, leading to initiatives such as flexible policies for young parents and tailored international assignments, fostering both professional and personal development.

    A Holistic Approach to Performance

    Performance at BAT Vietnam is viewed through a holistic lens, merging business objectives with personal growth. Trained middle managers facilitate transparent performance reviews, ensuring that employees recognize their value and potential. The company empowers learning through innovative tools like The Grid—an AI-driven platform—and a Talent Marketplace, which allows for tailored development opportunities. The impressive user activation rate in 2024 speaks volumes about the workforce’s aspirations when presented with the right tools.

    Creating a Supportive Environment

    BAT Vietnam believes that meaningful performance blossoms when individuals feel valued and supported. Initiatives such as Happy Hours, Cultural Diversity Days, and Wellness Half-Days reflect this ethos, proving that a thriving workplace is one where comfort and encouragement are prioritized.

    Championing Inclusive Leadership

    Under Daniel Hsu’s guidance, recognized globally as an Empower Role Model, BAT Vietnam shines as an emblem of inclusive excellence. Hsu’s steadfast advocacy for women’s economic empowerment and the sustainability of farmers’ livelihoods resonates deeply, enriching the community and aligning with BAT’s vision of A Better Tomorrow.

    A Culture of Inquiry

    As Vietnam’s businesses confront accelerating changes, BAT Vietnam differentiates itself by consistently asking the right questions: What do our people need? How can we facilitate their growth? What does true belonging entail? “By responding to these queries with actionable strategies, we exemplify that culture is not just a slogan—it’s a daily commitment. Leadership is not a title—but a bold, collective choice,” stated a representative of BAT Vietnam. “Our Truly Inclusive culture is not merely a workplace—it’s a vibrant movement, transforming lives and motivating Vietnam’s business sector to lead with courage and purpose.”

    Questions & Answers

    What are the key initiatives BAT Vietnam has implemented for employee growth?
    BAT Vietnam has introduced Growth Conversations and a dedicated platform for personalized development, ensuring that individual aspirations align with company objectives.

    How has BAT Vietnam demonstrated its commitment to diversity and inclusion?
    The company achieved 47% female representation in management roles and completed comprehensive inclusion training for all managers, reflecting its commitment to a diverse workforce.

    What makes BAT Vietnam’s workplace culture unique?
    BAT Vietnam fosters a culture of authenticity and inclusivity, where initiatives like Cultural Diversity Days and Happy Hours embody its belief that performance thrives in a supportive environment.

  • Champion lifting off with sustainable streetwear collection

    Champion lifting off with sustainable streetwear collection

    Athletic apparel brand Champion is to launch a sustainable streetwear collection Re:Bound next month.

    Champion’s Re:Bound Collection will feature a streetwear line made from recycled Reverse Weave fabric, normally discarded during production. According to the company, 45 percent of pre-consumer recycled cotton has been turned into high-quality apparel products for the range.

    The manufacturing process involves three stages: Rescue Waste, Recycle and Rope Dye.

    As part of the launch, Champion invited two Australian influencers and up-cyclers, Philip O’Donahoo and Jaida The Creator, to star in a promotion campaign.

    “Pioneering products is our legacy. Protecting the planet is our long game,” the company said in a statement. “Re:Bound is our first step, and we’re just getting started.”

    The Re:Bound collection is scheduled to launch on August 4.

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  • HanesBrands about to double Champion Asia store network

    HanesBrands about to double Champion Asia store network

    US apparel company HanesBrands plans to double its Champion Asia store network within two years.

    The company has just announced a partnership with LF Corporation in South Korea which will see its store network there expand from around 10 now to more than 30 by the end of next year, with a further five-year expansion program planned beyond that. LF Corporation will also develop an online offer there.

    LF Corporation directly operates more than 1400 stores in South Korea, including for fashion brands Daks, Hazzys and Lafuma.

    The South Korea Champion partnership is part of a broader strategy by HanesBrands to expand the brand’s store footprint throughout Asia. There are currently more than 200 Champion Asia stores and shops-in-shops across Asia, including in Japan, China, Thailand, Taiwan and Hong Kong, which represent two-thirds of its global network.

    HanesGroup says it wants to more than double the number of stores and shops in those markets within two years.

    Beyond Asia, the company is also continuing to open stores in Europe, the US and Australia, and is pursuing a distributor retail model to open stores in Mexico, Central America and South America.

    Jon Ram, HanesBrands’ group president of global activewear, described its new South Korean partner as “a highly accomplished large-scale distributor” that operates a large network of department stores, shop-in-shops, street shops and online platforms.

    “We are looking forward to the growth that we can generate through the growing power of the Champion brand combined with the retail, e-commerce and brand building expertise of LF,” he said of the ambitious Champion Asia plan.

    LF plans to locate retail stores and shops-in-shops near and in the country’s major department stores and shopping malls. In addition, LF will distribute Champion products to the company’s Around the Corner multi-brand lifestyle-apparel stores and to other parts of its online and store network.

    “Champion is a global leader in sports performance and athletic casualwear apparel and is particularly appealing to younger consumers in their teens and 20s,” said LF Corporation MD Yoo Hyosang. “We believe Champion has the positioning to be an upscale brand in Korea, and we plan to use a dual-distribution strategy of opening Champion stores and expanding points of distribution in other store channels and online platforms. We are eager to tap the growth potential of Champion in Korea.”

    Champion has doubled its global net sales in the past three years with strong double-digit compound annual growth rates in the US, Europe and Asia. Popular with celebrities, sports figures and pop culture artists, the brand has more than 7 million followers on Instagram and has collaborated on apparel offerings with other leading apparel brands, designers and retailers, including Todd Snyder, Kith, Supreme, Urban Outfitters and Vetements.

    Based in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, HanesBrands sells products under brands including Hanes, Bonds, Maidenform, Playtex, Bras N Things, L’eggs, Lovable, Wonderbra, Berlei and Gear for Sports.

  • AW Lab Singapore to open in Suntec City

    AW Lab Singapore to open in Suntec City

    AW Lab Singapore has opened a store in Suntec City, the first brick-and-mortar outlet in Asia Pacific for the Italian sports apparel retailer.

    Covering 2630sqft (240sqm), the store has a futuristic concept that invites young people to “play with style”. Whited out from floor to ceiling with blocks of bright colours, the outlet features ultra-sleek shelving and bright, stark lighting to present footwear from such brands as Adidas Originals, New Balance, Nike and Vans.

    Galvanised-steel racks are stocked with apparel from brands like Jordan and Under Armour, as well as AW Lab’s own fashion and street apparel labels, Down Up and Two of a Kind.

    The store also offers exclusive collaborations and limited-edition sneakers.

    “We have trust in the commitment and planning of the team to tap into the market’s potential, and it is high time we focus our attention here,” says head of Asia Giuseppe Nisi of AW Lab, which has opened more than 200 stores across Italy and Spain in its first three years.

    “Singapore has always offered its own style, and sometimes the best way to explore a city is simply to walk the streets,” he says. “That’s what we’ve always envisioned for AW Lab – to let the people define their own style while keeping it playful and exciting.”

    AW Lab is known for its exclusive collaboration collections with brands such as Adidas, Champion and Puma, and in Singapore will be releasing several special sneakers and collaborations in the coming months.

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