Alisports teams up with Chinese sporting goods brand Hosa to expand new retail efforts

Alibaba Group’s sports arm Alisports is teaming up with Chinese gym and sports retail outlet operator Hosa in a bid to expand its “new retail” offerings for sports products.

The strategic partnership, announced on Tuesday, will see Alisports and Hosa work together in integrating online and offline commerce. As part of the agreement, Alisports will carry Hosa’s products on its Alisports online store on the Tmall marketplace.

Hosa, which operates a network of 160 gyms in China as well as a chain of Hosa sportswear stores, will also work with Alisports in developing sports training courses which will be promoted and sold offline in Hosa’s retail stores. The Hong Kong-listed sporting goods retailer will also share with Alisports its consumer shopping pattern data as well as data on its gym members.

“Hosa is a sports and fitness company that advocates exercise and a healthy lifestyle, and Alisports is an internet company that is on a mission to make exercise easy for everyone. Together, we can do more for the sports and fitness industry,” said Zhang Dazhong, chief executive of Alisports in a statement.

Alisports in April closed a US$190 million Series A funding round led by Hong Kong-based Yunfeng Capital, which counts Alibaba’s Jack Ma as one of its founders. The funding round gave Alisports a valuation of over US$1 billion, making it a unicorn company.