Li Ning to open US store

08/12/2009
Chinese sport shoe and apparel brand Li Ning has announced plans to open its first store outside Asia. The new outlet will open for business in Portland, Oregon, in January.

The company has already set up a product research and development centre in the
US
city.

Chief executive, Zhang Zhiyong, has told Reuters that the new
US store will help the Chinese company test its potential for global growth. In addition to the Portland outlet, Li Ning also aims to keep growing in Asia; it plans to have between 70 and 100 stores dedicated to the sport of badminton across south-east Asia
by the end of 2009.

Mr Zhang said he thought the
US
would become a very important market for the company, especially between 2014 and 2018.

Li Ning aims to become one of the five biggest global sporting goods brands in terms of sales volume by 2018, of which the overseas market is expected to account for 20%, he said.