With so many companies initiating or accelerating investment in China over the past quarter – I had my team dig in to when each apparel/footwear company started investing in building a Chinese consumer business (i.e. not manufacturing). It’s pretty startling when charted against the Yuan/Dollar. Some companies were ahead of the curve – such as Nike, Adidas, VF Corp, and even Jones Apparel Group (1993 – who would have thunk??). But I’m astounded by the sheer number of companies that invested in China AFTER a parabolic move in currency (bad trade) due to slowing growth in core markets. This chart shows proactive versus reactive strategic planning at its best.
