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Alo steps up China expansion as US consumer brands tap growth, highlighting market’s strong appeal_我的网站

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A | “东模西数”来了！西部留住了人才作者／ IT时报孙永会编辑／钱立富孙妍七月的黔中大地，喀斯特峰林连绵铺展成黛色山峦屏障，贵安新区便静卧于这片群山环抱之间。这也是全国八大一体化算力网络国家枢纽节点之一，最新数据显示，区域已引进27个大型数据中心（15个已投运），总算力规模达170.15Eflops，智算占比超98%，存力规模32.83EB。

B |

Photo: VCG
US-based premium activewear and lifestyle brand Alo stepped up its expansion in China on Wednesday, launching an exclusive flagship store on Tmall while preparing brick-and-mortar stores in cities including Beijing and Shanghai, adding to a growing number of US consumer brands entering or expanding in the Chinese market.
With Chinese actress Zhao Lusi featured on its homepage, Alo's Tmall flagship store marks its first official sales channel in China and its only official e-commerce channel on the Chinese mainland, giving consumers direct access without relying on overseas agents or cross-border purchases.
Sales on its Tmall store topped 10 million yuan ($1.4 million) within one minute after final payments for preorders opened at 12:30 am, setting a new opening-day sales record for a new brand in Tmall's sports and outdoor category, the Securities Daily reported.
Industry observers attributed Alo's growing appeal in China to the rise of yoga and Pilates, as well as its blend of performance wear and everyday fashion, which resonates with younger consumers and lends itself to social-media-driven lifestyle marketing.
Industry data showed that China's yoga apparel market is projected to reach $2.65 billion in 2026, suggesting significant growth potential despite intensifying competition from established players such as Canada's Lululemon.
Alo is not an isolated case. A growing number of US consumer brands are entering China or deepening their presence, from opening their first stores to expanding retail networks and testing new formats, highlighting the enduring appeal of China's vast market, increasingly sophisticated consumers, and diverse consumption scenarios.
US fast-food chain Five Guys has also expanded its footprint in China, recently entering Beijing with two stores opening simultaneously at Chaoyang Joy City and Xidan Joy City. The launches drew long queues, with waits exceeding two hours during the lunch rush and scalpers reportedly charging up to 100 yuan to hold spots in line, according to media reports.
Five Guys is far from cheap, with a regular burger priced at 70 yuan and even a small order of fries at 32 yuan. But its 16 customizable toppings offer novelty and choice, helping attract Chinese consumers despite the premium pricing.
Meanwhile, Walmart, which has operated in China for 30 years, reflects the continued commitment of long-established multinationals to the Chinese market.
Walmart has recently opened 20 new community stores in Shenzhen, expanding its presence through a format designed to serve everyday needs in neighborhoods. The company told the Global Times that the format is now expanding beyond Shenzhen, with the first stores in Suzhou and Guangzhou set to open in the second half of the year.
At Walmart China's 30th anniversary event on Wednesday, Walmart China President and CEO Zhu Xiaojing said that the retailer has built an integrated omnichannel network spanning hypermarkets, community stores, Sam's Clubs, front warehouses and distribution centers, with online sales accounting for more than half of its China sales last year.
"We remain confident in the Chinese market and will continue to increase our strategic investment in China," Zhu said, adding that Walmart will further expand its omnichannel presence, deepen community engagement and work with suppliers to strengthen differentiated product offerings, according to The Paper.
The latest corporate moves are also reflected in broader investment data. Actual US investment in China rose 24.5 percent year-on-year in the first four months of 2026, according to China's Ministry of Commerce. More than 3,000 foreign-invested companies increased their investment in China during the period.
Meanwhile, a 2026 survey by the US-China Business Council found that 95 percent of US companies regarded their China operations as important to remaining globally competitive, underscoring China's continued role in their global business strategies.
Wang Peng, an associate research fellow at the Beijing Academy of Social Sciences, told the Global Times that at a time of sluggish global growth, China offers multinational companies a relatively stable source of revenue, while its mature supply chains, logistics networks and large consumer base allow brands to respond quickly to changing demand.
Wang said that the appeal of the Chinese market has also moved beyond sheer population size. Foreign brands are increasingly drawn to opportunities created by more segmented consumption across different city tiers, age groups and lifestyle categories. China's highly developed digital retail ecosystem, including social-commerce marketing, instant retail and integrated online-offline channels, also gives companies a testing ground for new products and business models.
Despite uncertainties in China-US economic ties, Wang said that companies ultimately make investment decisions based on market demand, growth prospects and competitiveness. For many global consumer brands, pulling back from China would mean giving up a vast customer base and leaving more room for competitors.
。华为云全球总部、苹果中国首个数据中心、三大运营商大规模数据中心等相继落地扎根。从AI模型训练到影视特效渲染，海量算力订单从各地涌来，经由本地机房完成运算处理后，再反馈至需求端。 “如果把贵州的大数据产业比作一棵大树，算力和数据是树根，产业是树干，应用则是枝叶。

C | 算力是基础底座，数据是关键要素，应用是赋能路径，产业是发展核心。”7月20日，在2026世界人工智能大会“贵州·AI驱动东西部协同发展”论坛上，贵州省人民政府副秘书长、省大数据发展管理局局长朱宗尧以生动比喻，阐释了产业发展逻辑。

D | 论坛现场，《IT时报》记者观察到，伴随AI大模型热潮兴起，“东模西数”成为产业热议的新型协作模式。该模式整合东部技术创新能力、人才优势与西部数据、算力、场景资源，实现东西部优势互补。其中，上海及长三角区域集聚大模型研发、算法创新、AI企业与终端应用研发资源，主攻模型训练与智能体开发；西部地区承接数据存储、模型训练算力支撑及AI实景场景验证工作。业内普遍认为，该模式未来有望成为我国人工智能产业布局的常态化发展范式。非遗产值实现翻倍增长黔东南苗绣传承数千年，是贵州珍贵的国家级非物质文化遗产，却曾长期深陷产业发展困境。而AI“下乡”后，转机来临。 “非遗民族文化如何与AI大模型深度融合？”贵州省黔东南施秉县舞水云台旅游商品开发有限公司总经理龙宇对此颇有心得。这家公司成立于2006年，龙宇是公司的第二代守艺人，刚接手时，就捕捉到传统苗绣产业的诸多痛点。“一是品牌适配性不足，好看却不实用。”龙宇在论坛上分享，服装、家纺、酒类等多个行业品牌均认可苗绣纹样的美学价值，但普遍存在落地应用难的问题。更严峻的是技艺传承困境：老匠人精通传统苗绣织造与民族服饰缝制，却缺乏设计、电脑操作与市场思维，无法将传统绣法转化为适配市场的服饰、箱包、文创产品。毕业于北京理工大学的龙宇选择返乡创业、接续传承。创业初期，他逐户走访村寨妇女，承诺“包培训、包材料、包销路”，逐步打消村民“绣花不能谋生”的固有认知，带动本土女性就业增收。而真正为产业带来颠覆性改变的，是AI技术的深度赋能。在贵州省大数据局的对接赋能下，依托企业积淀的上万幅苗绣纹样数据库，龙宇团队联合贵州大学，打造出国内首个苗绣行业专属AI大模型。以往，一款苗绣产品从线稿纹样绘制到效果图渲染，需两周以上，且款式固定、改款烦琐；如今依托垂类AI大模型，一小时即可完成全套设计渲染，支持款式智能迭代、自由改款，可一键适配衬衣、裙装、裤装、箱包等多元产品，整体设计效率提升700%。数据显示，通过AI辅助，龙宇管理的公司产值在2024年突破3000万元，比上一年近乎翻了一番，带动绣娘人均年收入增加上万元。

E | 高质量数据集成核心关键不过，“东模西数”模式的规模化落地，仍面临诸多现实壁垒。AI大模型的普及应用，倒逼高质量数据集建设与规范化管理提速，这也成为产业发展的核心难点。

F | 公开数据显示，截至2026年6月底，全国已建成高质量数据集12万个，总体量超过1565PB，较一季度末增长超60%，这相当于中国国家图书馆数字资源总量的547倍。 “AI行业竞争已经从卷算力、卷算法，转向卷AI Ready高质量语料。”上海库帕思科技董事长山栋明在“语料筑基、智生时代”语料创新论坛上指出，接下来应用落地的难点已不在算法本身，而在于有没有将数据准备好。在他看来，数据正在从Data for BI（生物智能）向Data for AI转变：“最大的差别在于，BI要的是结果，AI要的是过程。” “在‘东模西数’的框架下，模型和算力是两条从业者谈论比较多的主线。但两者之间还有一个容易被忽视的关键环节，是数据。

G | ”OceanBase CTO杨传辉在主旨演讲时也强调。没有统一、高效、智能的数据基础设施，模型便无法获取可信的上下文，东西部协同就缺少了“最后一公里”的支撑。西部一家百年老字号银行的转型实践颇具代表性。此前，该行部署近30款数据库系统，各类业务负载分散在不同集群，运维压力大、综合成本高。依托OceanBase一体化数据底座，该行实现交易、实时分析、实时数仓等多类业务负载统一整合，无需为单一业务单独搭建分布式集群。目前该行50%的业务系统已迁移至该底座，大幅压降运维与建设成本，预计2027年覆盖率将提升至85%。同时，该行正加速推进大模型与知识库建设，将向量、文档等多模态数据能力统一沉淀，为AI落地筑牢数据根基。

H | 本次“贵州·AI驱动东西部协同发展”论坛还发布三项贵州本土AI创新成果，分别为高质量数据集（语料）质量评测工具“数质Link”、数据·算力·Token一体化服务平台、黔擎·乌蒙气象大模型；同时，由东部模型企业与西部数据企业联合组建的创新应用联合体正式揭牌成立。留才难题亟待破解如何吸引并留住东部优质人才扎根西部，同样是东西部协同发展的突出难题。在《数据赋能AI产业的东西部协作路径与生态共建》圆桌环节，上海电力大学党委副书记、校长顾春华直指人才结构性脱节的核心堵点。“从高校视角来看，人才是东西部AI协同发展的最大瓶颈。

I | ”他总结出三重脱节问题：人才培养内容与产业真实场景脱节、培养模式与产业运作体系脱节，学生缺乏数据治理、模型工程、场景验证的全流程实操经验；人才流动机制与长期成长通道脱节，人才引得来、留不住。“核心不是如何引进人才，而是如何搭建持续迭代的项目与平台，为人才提供长期成长空间，真正留住人才。” “行业常谈待遇留人、感情留人，归根结底是事业留人。”贵州省人工智能实验室副主任、中国电信集团高级专家蒲石坦言，西部AI产业留才并非易事。他观察到，返乡、入黔发展的技术人才普遍认为，薪酬待遇并非核心考量，真正能留住人才的是三大不可替代优势。首先是真实且具挑战性的产业场景，让人才学有所用、业有所成，依托落地项目获得职业成就感；其次是同步东部前沿的技术学习氛围，缩小东西部技术认知差距，避免发展脱节；最后是包容试错的科研环境，AI大模型与智能体研发试错率高，若考核体系唯短期效益论，将制约前沿技术探索，唯有宽松容错的生态，才能让科研人才安心深耕、持续创新。