ASICS refocused on running and turned 2023 into a record year

ASICS had drifted across regions, stores, and product lines. In 2019 it shifted from separate production and sales silos to category management, making category leaders responsible from planning through production and sales, including profit and inventory.

Its Mid-Term Plan 2023 then put the company behind performance running, profitable categories, digital services, and a stronger running ecosystem. The company closed many North American stores, cut low-price products, strengthened run-specialty channels, and exited low-profit school business in Japan.

The turnaround showed in 2023. ASICS told shareholders that sales and every profit line reached record highs. The plan review reported sales of ¥570.4 billion, operating profit of ¥54.2 billion, and a 9.5% operating margin, saying the company had shifted onto a growth trajectory.

FY2023 sales reached ¥570.4B, operating profit ¥54.2B, and operating margin 9.5%, far above the plan.

Category leaders owned the full value chain, so product ambition was tied to inventory, margin, and regional execution.

Performance running gave ASICS a credible center of gravity instead of forcing every sport and channel to matter equally.

OneASICS and race-registration acquisitions turned runners into a data and membership base, not just shoe buyers.

A consumer brand in many categories can recover by making one core use case the organizing system for product, channels, data, and cost.

ASICS used the 2023 outcome as the base for Mid-Term Plan 2026, aiming to become a Global Integrated Enterprise and expand OneASICS membership. The company also said its market value passed ¥1 trillion for the first time in 2023.