Anta Brand CEO Xu Yang Resigns, Aggressive Retail Experiment Ends

Anta brand CEO Xu Yang has resigned, with group executive director and co-CEO Lai Shixian acting as interim. During Xu's tenure, he pushed a 'make Anta smaller' strategy, incubating new formats like Super Anta, SV, and Anta Champion, but most failed to scale; SV division was dismantled, and Super Anta will stop rapid store expansion in 2026 for adjustment. Anta brand growth slowed, with 2025 revenue growth at only 3.7%, below its 10%-15% CAGR target. Xu's basketball initiatives also stalled, with only two flagship Kyrie models launched and the Curry contract canceled. For practitioners in Anta's dealer network and retail operations, this means the aggressive experiment is on hold, with short-term reliance on full-price stores and traditional channels, and likely reduced innovation spending.