李寧公司挺進智能運動產業
Lossmaking Chinese sportswear brand Li Ning is making a maiden foray into wearable technology, linking up with a Xiaomi-backed start-up in an effort to revive its flagging fortunes.
The sportswear company — which has fought to shake off the image of producing cheap sports shoes that are little more than western knock-offs — said yesterday that it had signed a strategic partnership with Huami Technology, which produces Xiaomi’s “Mi” smart wristband.
這家運動服企業昨天表示，已經和生產小米智能手環的華米科技(Huami Technology)簽署了戰略合作協議。李寧公司迄今一直在努力擺脫生產廉價運動鞋、產品比西方品牌的山寨產品好不了多少的形象。The companies said the move was the first collaboration between sportswear and smart technology in China, and also Li Ning’s first foray into the smart sports sector.
李寧公司表示，此舉是中國運動服和智能科技的首次合作，也是李寧品牌對智能運動產業的首次進軍。
Retail analysts said that the announcement was well timed, coming a week after Apple’s unveiling of its new smartwatch.
零售分析師表示，這一宣佈的時機恰到好處，上週蘋果(Apple)剛發佈新款智能手錶。Li Ning may also be hoping that some of the popularity of Xiaomi — a rapidly growing maker of smartphones and other gadgets — can rub off on the troubled sportswear group.
李寧公司或許還希望，這家處於困境中的運動服集團能夠從小米那裏獲得一部分人氣。小米是一家正在迅速成長的智能手機和其他小型電子設備的製造商。Li Ning is scheduled to announce its annual results later this week, after issuing a warning in January that it expects to post its third consecutive full-year loss. The company will face questions about its search for a new chief executive, after the one installed in 2012 by private equity backer TPG left in November.
李寧公司定於本週晚些時候公佈其年度財報。在此之前的今年1月，該公司曾發出警告稱，預計將連續第三年出現全年虧損。此外，李寧公司還將在尋找新首席執行官的問題上面臨質疑。此前的首席執行官是2012年由私募股權投資方TPG任命的，已經於去年11月離任。
