Anta's AI365 Initiative Drives Revenue Growth and Market Efficiency
Explore how Anta Sports is revolutionizing its operations with the AI365 initiative, integrating artificial intelligence across its business to achieve significant efficiencies and enhance consumer engagement.
Key Facts
- Anta targets RMB5 billion value from AI365, indicating ambitious growth amid market challenges.
- AI-assisted design reduced product cycle by 80%, showcasing efficiency that could enhance margins.
- Anta's comprehensive AI strategy spans entire value chain, giving it a competitive edge over rivals.
- Revenue grew 12.9% to RMB43.5 billion, suggesting AI investments are positively impacting financials.
- Competitors like Li Ning and Adidas lack Anta's AI scope, revealing vulnerabilities in their strategies.
Summary
Summary
Anta Sports, China's largest sportswear group, faced the challenge of enhancing efficiency and driving growth amid a competitive market. To tackle this, they launched AI365, a comprehensive AI strategy aimed at integrating artificial intelligence across design, marketing, merchandise, supply chain, retail, and operations. By the end of 2025, Anta reported over RMB9 billion (€1.13 billion) in AI-assisted design order value, showcasing significant early success.
Background
Anta Sports Products Limited operates in the sporting goods industry and has established itself as the largest sportswear group in China. The company has a diverse portfolio of brands and thousands of retail stores. Prior to the AI365 deployment, Anta was focused on maintaining its market share against competitors like Nike and Adidas, while also investing heavily in research and development.
Challenge
Anta aimed to improve operational efficiency and reduce costs across its extensive business operations. The company recognized the need for a strategic initiative that could enhance productivity and drive growth in a challenging market environment.
Solution
Anta implemented AI365, a systematic approach to integrate AI throughout its entire business structure. This included the development of two proprietary AI models: Linglong for product design and Lingxi for retail styling. The AI365 strategy was launched in October 2025, with a three-year roadmap focusing on different phases of AI integration, starting with design in 2025, followed by retail in 2026, and operations in 2027.
Results
By the end of 2025, Anta reported over RMB9 billion (€1.13 billion) in AI-assisted design order value, up from RMB2.5 billion (€315 million) at the launch. The company also achieved an 80% reduction in the product development cycle, a 30% increase in design approval rates, and a significant rise in creative output. Additionally, AI-generated hosts conducted over 100,000 hours of livestreaming, reaching more than 30 million viewers.
Key Insights
Anta's comprehensive AI strategy highlights the importance of integrating technology across all business functions rather than limiting it to isolated applications. The use of proprietary data for training AI models provides a competitive edge that rivals may struggle to replicate. Companies should consider a holistic approach to AI deployment to maximize efficiency and growth potential.
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Key Concepts
Definitions
- AI365
- Anta's strategic initiative to integrate artificial intelligence across its entire business structure, targeting significant value creation.
- Linglong
- Anta's proprietary AI design model that accelerates the product design process by generating multiple design options quickly.
- Lingxi
- Anta's AI model for retail styling that provides outfit recommendations and virtual try-on capabilities.
- Sporting Goods Industry Innovation Consortium
- An industry body convened by Anta to foster collaboration and innovation in the sporting goods sector.
- Digital-human livestreaming
- AI-generated hosts that conduct livestream shopping events, enhancing customer engagement and sales.
Use Cases
- →AI-assisted design for faster product development
- →Virtual try-on to reduce return rates
- →AI-driven marketing strategies
- →Livestream shopping to increase customer interaction
- →Data analysis for inventory management
- →Cross-border commerce facilitation
Frequently Asked Questions
What is AI365?
AI365 is Anta's comprehensive strategy to implement artificial intelligence across all business functions, aiming to enhance efficiency and generate significant value over three years.
How does Linglong improve product design?
Linglong significantly reduces the time required for product design by generating multiple design options from a single brief in a matter of minutes, compared to traditional methods.
What are the expected financial benefits of AI365?
Anta aims to create over RMB5 billion in value through AI365 within three years, leveraging AI to improve efficiency and drive revenue growth.
How does Anta's AI strategy compare to competitors?
Anta's AI strategy is more comprehensive, integrating AI across the entire value chain, while competitors like Li Ning and Xtep focus on narrower applications.
What challenges does Anta face with AI365?
Anta acknowledges that it is still early to determine the full impact of AI on operational efficiency, and the company must continue to monitor and report on these metrics to validate its strategy.