(Yicai) Feb. 26 -- Arc'teryx saw global sales under its women's category surge more than 40 percent last quarter from a year ago, despite the high-performance outdoor clothing and equipment brand under Finland's Amer Sports suffering severe reputational damage in China due to an environmental uproar over a fireworks show it held in the Himalayas.

Arc'teryx's brand recognition and favorability among female consumers in various regions have continued to rise thanks to improvements in fit, style, colors, and functionality, with the women's category becoming its fastest-growing segment, Amer, in which a consortium led by China's Anta Sports Products has a controlling stake, said in a financial report on Feb. 24.

Last September, Arc'teryx teamed up with Chinese fireworks artist Cai Guoqiang to stage a fireworks show in the Himalayas in China's Xizang Autonomous Region. The event sparked a public outcry over environmental damage, countering the principles advocated by the brand, and leading to Amer's share price falling over several consecutive days.

Arc'teryx's new autumn and winter products for women drove significant incremental growth across multiple core categories, with the ski and insulation series performing particularly well, Amer noted. Climbing pants and soft-shell bloomers launched last year have maintained high market popularity, it added.

In addition, Amer reported its China revenue surged 43 percent to USD1.9 billion last year from 2024, becoming its second-largest market. Its income from the Americas rose 14 percent to USD2.1 billion, from Europe, the Middle East, and Africa jumped 19 percent to USD1.8 billion, and from the Asia-Pacific region soared 51 percent to USD773 million.

Net profit of Amer skyrocketed 489 percent to USD427 million in the 12 months ended Dec. 31 from the previous year, with revenue rising 27 percent to USD6.6 billion. The Helsinki-based firm expects revenue growth to slow to between 16 percent and 18 percent this year.

Amer's strong performance was driven by flagship brand Arc'teryx and the fast growth of premium sports gear brand Salomon, with all business segments, regions, and channels achieving double-digit growth, said Chief Executive Zheng Jie.

However, Amer faces challenges related to global consumption uncertainty, with the sporting goods industry's annual growth rate likely to slow to 6 percent between 2024 and 2029 from 7 percent between 2021 and 2024, according to a report jointly released by McKinsey & Company and the World Federation of the Sporting Goods Industry.

Editor: Martin Kadiev