Shanghai Today
Birkenstock bullish on growth potential of Chinese market - June 07, 2026
Birkenstock看好中国市场的增长潜力
German footwear brand Birkenstock sees China as one of its most promising growth markets, with the country becoming a key driver of its global business expansion.
With the Chinese market being a major driver, the company sees a 30 percent year-on-year growth in its revenue in the Asia-Pacific region, which accounts for 12 percent of its global total, Jochen Gutzy, chief communications officer of Birkenstock, told China Daily in a recent exclusive interview.
Gutzy said Birkenstock is bullish on China's long-term consumption potential. "We are here to stay and build a sustainable business," he said.
Birkenstock's global setup covers three major global markets — the Americas; Europe, the Middle East and Africa; and APAC.
"APAC is the largest of all three regions when it comes to the market potential," said Gutzy, adding that though the Americas remain its largest single market, the APAC region delivers far stronger growth momentum, which is still in its early development stage, with China retaining massive untapped market space.
Tiffany Wu, managing director of Birkenstock Greater China, said: "We used to focus heavily on our online business in China. However, over the past two years we have accelerated our offline store expansion to reach broader consumer groups. The unique value of our anatomically designed footbed can only be fully perceived through in-store experience, which cannot be fully conveyed via online channels."
Wu said every newly opened Birkenstock store in China can hit official sales targets within six months. The brand now operates six stores in Shanghai, with a clear expansion roadmap covering coastal core cities and lower-tier inland markets.
Domestically, Birkenstock's consumer group has become significantly younger, with 18 to 25-year-old buyers emerging as the major growth force. Unlike trend-chasing consumers, young Chinese shoppers prioritize brand heritage, functional value and exclusive immersive experience over fleeting fashion fads.
Gutzy stressed that Birkenstock's steady organic growth in China is driven by cultural resonance rather than intensive marketing investment. "The cultural fit between the brand and the Chinese market is even stronger than it was in the US back then," he said.
Strict German manufacturing standards have also brought structural capacity constraints to the brand's Chinese business. "Demand has always grown faster than capacity since I joined in 2012, so we were always sold out," Gutzy said.
To ramp up its market penetration in China, Birkenstock launched a four-day pop-up exhibition celebrating the 50th anniversary of its iconic Boston clog in Shanghai from May 28 to Sunday.
Nestled in a historic 1939 building on Shanghai's Changle Road, the "House of Boston" exhibition showcased the company's five-decade evolution through archival displays, original German manufacturing equipment and documentary works by renowned photographer Henry Leutwyler. The Boston clog's multiscenario, all-age inclusiveness fits well with China's family-oriented consumption ethos, the company said.
The anniversary pop-up served as a key offline experience for the brand's localized strategy. By showcasing its original manufacturing craftsmanship and the history of product iterations, Birkenstock aims to highlight its core technological advantages over other similar products in the market.
The brand intends to further tap China's market potential, adhering to steady, high-quality channel construction and sustainable growth instead of blind aggressive expansion, Gutzy said.
Source: China Daily
