Li Ning is said to be one of several foreign brands that are planning to open their first stores in Russia in 2019. The Chinese brand plans to open between 15 and 20 stores in the country, focusing primarily on Moscow and St. Petersburg, the company had said in a statement earlier in 2018. It is also exploring opportunities to do business with local sporting goods retailers. However, local observers indicate that it may be hard for the brand to make a dent in the market, where it is virtually unknown, partly because Chinese products are associated with low prices. An executive of Decathlon told a local newspaper that Li Ning would have to open 50 stores per year, pump a lot of money into promotion campaigns and be very flexible on pricing to be successful in Russia.

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