Adidas AG is opening its biggest store in the world -- about 34,100 square feet -- in Beijing today. The long, glass-clad rectangular building reflects its ambition to use China as a battleground to
overtake rival Nike and also serves to promote Adidas's role as the official sportswear provider for the Beijing Games, a privilege that cost an estimated $80 million to $100 million in cash and kind,
according to people familiar with the matter.
Growth in developing markets, including China, is vital to both sportswear titans because their sales are flattening in primary markets like
the U.S. Thanks in part to the frenzy surrounding the Olympics, China's sportswear market in 2009 is projected to increase 90% from 2006, to $7.2 billion, according to Shanghai-based sports
consultancy ZOU Marketing.
Adidas hopes to attract Chinese consumers with the promise of a healthy lifestyle, including free features such as an interactive zone in which shoppers will be
able to test their skills in balancing, running and jumping on various machines developed by sports researchers at Germany's University of Freiburg machines. A service called "sports concierge" will
provide training and nutrition advice. Other services include customized football jerseys and sneakers.
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