Recent movements such as the purchase of Everlane by Shein and the advance of Anta Sports over the German Puma confirm a silent transformation in the international market: the company no longer competes for space only in cutting-edge technology.
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The new phase of Chinese expansion begins to take place in everyday consumer life – from social media feeds to clothing brands, from coffee to behavioral trends. Now, Chinese companies are also advancing fashion, behavior, digital culture and brands linked to the lifestyle global.
Weaker growth, excess supply in several sectors and increasingly intense competition between companies led Chinese groups to seek new markets outside the country. Data from the Rhodium Group consultancy show that Chinese mergers and acquisitions abroad they reached US$9.6 billion in the first quarter of 2026highest level in five years. Of this amount, around US$2.7 billion went to sectors linked to consumption and brands.
At the same time, Beijing continues to prioritize maintaining industrial and technological capacity at home. While Chinese investments in new factories abroad lost strength, exports continued to advance rapidly: Chinese batteries exported to Europe grew 43% in 2025, while automobiles advanced 15% in value, and wind equipment soared 65%.
From popular retail to premium brands
The is one of the clearest symbols of the new phase of Chinese companies.
On one side, a giant of the fast fashion which grew based on scale, low prices and dominance of social networks. On the other, an American brand built on values such as conscious consumption, transparency in the production chain and aimed at a public with greater purchasing power.
In announcing the sale, Everlane CEO Alfred Chang said the brand will remain independent and committed to sustainability. Valued at US$100 million, the brand is expected to receive investment from Shein and, according to Reuters, initially the stores will remain open even if physical retail is not the focus of the business.
Another operation that moved the market was . With the deal, the company became the largest shareholder of the German brand, which now joins others in the portfolio such as Fila, Wilson and Salomon.
Keeping an eye on operational synergy
Not all Chinese expansion abroad occurs through the purchase of large chains or the immediate search for scale.
This was the reading of analysts regarding the purchase of Blue Bottle Coffee by the parent company of Luckin Coffee, a chain that displaced it in the country. Despite its global fame among premium coffee consumers, Blue Bottle has around 150 stores and 140 stores worldwide, with just over 70 in the United States. Luckin itself, on the other hand, already exceeds 31 thousand global units.
In this case, the interest would not be in the size of the American network, but in the ready infrastructure: contracts with suppliers, a consolidated presence in strategic cities in the USA and Japan and a brand already recognized among higher-income consumers.
According to market reports, the two companies will continue to operate separately. The idea is precisely to preserve Blue Bottle’s more sophisticated image, while the Chinese parent company gains access to a premium segment where Chinese companies still face more resistance to compete.
Regulatory issues do not impede Chinese advancement
Even with the increase in regulatory barriers in the West, Chinese advances in European markets continue to accelerate.
In 2025, according to data from Rhodium, China’s investment in Europe grew 67% and reached €16.8 billion, the highest level since 2018. The region also now accounts for almost 25% of all Chinese foreign investment in the world and for around 60% of Chinese operations in advanced economies.
The report also shows that Chinese companies have started to adapt their strategy in the face of greater political and commercial scrutiny. Instead of large, dispersed industrial bets, Chinese groups began to concentrate investments in markets considered more receptive, such as Hungary, Spain, France and the United Kingdom.
