Sequential Brands Group to expand And1 brand to China

Sequential Brands Group announced on Wednesday that it has entered into a long-term agreement with Guirenniao Co., Ltd. to expand the And1 brand to China.

 
As per the agreement, Sequential and GRN will work closely together to develop and distribute And1 men’s and boy’s basketball apparel, accessories and footwear. The first collection will launch in 2017, and the brand will open standalone And1 stores and launch women’s apparel and footwear collections in 2018.
 
“With over 300 million people in China playing basketball and a rapidly growing interest in the sport, we see an incredible opportunity to engage with consumers in a critical market, as we look to further expand the AND1 brand globally,” said Eddie Esses, President of Sequential’s Active Division.

China’s love for basketball has grown exponentially in a short period of time. NBA All-Stars such as Tracy McGrady, Steve Francis and Gilbert Arenas have traveled to China to play for the Chinese Basketball Association. The most notable player to join the CBA is Stephon Marbury who won three championships with the Beijing Ducks and was the first international citizen to be named one of the Top 10 Model Citizens for Beijing.
 
Today, athletic brands visit the country to launch new sneakers or host press tours like Under Armour with Stephen Curry and Nike with Kobe Bryant. Bryant in 2015 announced a partnership with Alibaba to launch branded products in China. In addition, Curry’s Golden State Warriors teammate Klay Thompson secured a sneaker deal with Chinese sportswear company Anta and sold over 650,000 pairs. The KT series alone achieved 500,000 orders at 2016 trade shows, a 240% increase.
 
And1 is a basketball footwear and apparel brand that has been operating for nearly 25 years. The brand became synonymous with street basketball and the streetball lifestyle in the late 1990s and early 2000s.