Our History
Li-Ning Sports is one of the leading sports and apparel brands in the Peoples Republic of China. Li-Ning Sports designs, manufacturers and markets sporting good products that include footwear, apparel, equipment and accessories. The products are designed for professional and casual purposes under the the Li-Ning brand name which was named after founder Mr. Li-Ning who started the company in 1990. Li-Ning Sports is Headquartered in Beijing where the company has brand marketing, research and development, design, manufacturing, distribution and retail departments. Li-Ning Sports has established an extensive supply chain management system and a retail distribution network throughout China, the rest of Asia and in many countries around the world including the USA & Canada.
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Mr. Li Ning is a world-renowned Chinese gymnast that earned 106 gold medals during his extensive career. In 1984 he won 3 gold, 2 silver and 1 bronze medal at the Los Angeles Olympic Games. The extraordinary Los Angeles Olympic news made Mr. Li-Ning a national hero upon his return to China and this fame helped him establish the Li-Ning sporting goods company as we know it today. In 1999, Mr. Li Ning was awarded as the "World's Most Outstanding Athlete in the 20th Century“ by the World Sports Correspondent Association. In 2008, Mr. Li Ning was honored by being the final torch bearer at the 29th Olympic Games held in Beijing.
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In January 2010, Li-Ning opened A USA based flagship store with headquarters in Portland, Oregon. In 2010, as part of the 'Revitalization' of the brand, Li-Ning released a new logo and the new slogan "Make The Change" . In January 2011, Li-Ning entered into a partnership with Chicago-based Acquity Group to expand its U.S. distribution and brand awareness. In April 2012, Li-Ning was awarded the highest distinction of "Outstanding Contribution to Quality Standardization Award" in knitwear division at the Third National Textile Standardization Technical Committee's inaugural meeting held in Zhuhai Guangdong, China. In September 2012, Li-Ning entered into a partnership with NBA player Dwyane Wade and Li-Ning by Way of Wade basketball shoes and basketball apparel were created as a result.
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In 2013, Li-Ning recorded revenue of over 2,906 million yuan ($484 million USD), which represents a year-over-year decrease of 24.6%. This was due to a short -term focus on sell-in reductions, clearing inventory and reducing the number of company stores. Li-Ning projected a net loss of up to 820 million yuan ($13.19 million USD) for 2014 which would be the third straight year where the company was unprofitable. The USA flagship store has since been closed and product distribution transitioned to country specific distributors as it has proven to be successful for Li-Ning in numerous countries around the world. LN Distribution Inc began distribution of badminton equipment products in 2012 and has continued to service the market to date. Brand expansion into table tennis and pickleball product categories is began in 2017 with other product categories to follow.