I remember Li-Ning as a Chinese brand that makes badminton rackets. So when my colleagues told me that we were invited as media to the Grand Opening of Li-Ning at Plaza Singapura on the 18th of October, I found it strange that Li-Ning would want to place a store at a major shopping mall along Orchard Road.
“Would it not be better for them to have a flagship store at Queensway Shopping Centre?”
That was what I retorted when I was told we were attending the event.
To me, Li-Ning was an alternative, well in my defence a good alternative, to Yonex.
How wrong I was…
This was at the Plaza Singapura Atrium. For starters, there was no badminton section.
Apparently, while I was unaware, Li-Ning is now a sporting brand that encompasses many disciplines.
Running for starters. This looks familiar and reminisces of a certain shoe from a big brand. I think most running shoes are starting to gravitate towards a certain style.
Shoes also have tech…
Another revelation is that Li-Ning is huge on basketball.
Judging by what I just shared, I do not think that I would have fared well in this test. Whatever the case, I did not attempt it!
The colours and design do look rather attractive. The curves give the shoe a very sleek and contemporary look.
For those unfamiliar with Jimmy Butler, he is an American basketball player. He plays for the Miami Heat.
Li-Ning collaborates with Dwayne Wade on their basketball shoes. If you do not know who Dwayne Wade is, you really need to brush up on your NBA knowledge.
There was some competition going on. The participants were 3 guys and a lady. I have no idea who these people were.
In the end, this petite lady schooled everyone. If everyone was this good, arcades would go bust.
Her score was ridiculous. It was mentioned that she was a national basketball player.
She was so far ahead of the rest of the competition. I think if you added up everyone’s scores, she would still be ahead.
This was the set up at the atrium.
Oh yes, a pink band? My favourite colour is red by the way. Well, this got me into the atrium to try the games anyway.
The actual store is on level 3. It encompasses two store spaces. They have another store at Bugis+. This seems like a collaboration with CapitaLand. Both stores are located with CapitaLand and the CapitaLand management were part of the grand opening festivities.
There is an opening special till end of October 2024.
The store had this clean look. I think Chinese brands have come a long way. Gone are the days when designs were loud. Instead, brands like Li-Ning are coming up with simple designs that are palatable to the general public with less conspicuous branding.
Basketball is huge to Li-Ning.
And yes, they still do badminton products.
Lululemon vibes?
This is their top-of-the-line running shoe. It is not as prohibitively expensive as some other American brands. 
Li-Ning has some membership schemes going on. 
I feel their products are well made. They feel durable. I was given a goodie bag and the material is extremely thick. Nice t-shirt though. It is a design specific to Singapore. You can see the merlion. Sorry, I did not take a photo of it unpacked. Li-Ning seems interested in breaking into the local market.
My revelation for the day… Li-Ning is no longer just about badminton…
Call me swakoo…
Yours sincerely,
Daryl
