From China’s Mountains to the World’s Mountains: KAILAS Deepens Its Global Expansion Strategy

In late August 2026, KAILAS FUGA, the trail-running brand of KAILAS, a China-based professional outdoor brand, officially opened its first European store in Chamonix, France. As KAILAS’s first directly operated international store, the new location not only gives the brand a more direct presence in the European market, but also marks a new stage in its global expansion — moving from years of investment in products, events, athletes and international channels toward more localized operations and deeper brand development.

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Founded in 2003, KAILAS is one of the world’s three leading full-category climbing brands. Over more than two decades, the company has built its professional capabilities through product development, professional athletes, events and testing in real mountain environments. From mountaineering, rock climbing and ice climbing to trail running, KAILAS has progressively developed a product portfolio serving multiple mountain sports. This sustained commitment to professional excellence forms the foundation for KAILAS to enter international markets and compete alongside established global outdoor brands. As of the end of 2024, KAILAS had more than 300 sales outlets overseas, 107 elite athletes worldwide, and organized or co-organized more than 200 events annually. These investments have not been made to capitalize on any single market trend, but represent a long-term effort built steadily over many years.

For KAILAS, choosing Chamonix was not simply a decision to open an overseas store. Chamonix is a major destination for outdoor and trail-running activities, as well as a core gathering point for professional runners, outdoor brands and communities from around the world. During the 2026 UTMB® World Series Finals, elite trail-running athletes from across the globe will once again converge here. Establishing its first directly operated international store at this important center of global mountain culture is a clear expression of KAILAS’s professional positioning and long-term international strategy.

The store is not positioned simply as a traditional retail space, but as a FUGA Basecamp connecting athletes, runners and the local outdoor community. Around the store opening, KAILAS is bringing together product experiences, athlete exchanges and trail-running activities, with more than 80 athletes from the FUGA Team and FUGA Mountain Club participating in UTMB®, TDS®, CCC®, OCC® and ETC® events. At the same time, the new FUGA EX PRO G is making its debut in Chamonix, bringing product development, professional athletes and real mountain environments into direct connection.

From bringing products into overseas markets, to building international athlete and event networks, and now to establishing its own directly operated international presence, KAILAS is moving from taking products overseas to building a deeper presence in the global mountain sports ecosystem. For KAILAS, competing alongside leading international brands is a sustained test of professional capability and long-term commitment. Establishing a presence in Chamonix means entering a more mature, highly professional and more demanding market, where products, athletes and real-world performance can be tested over the long term. Choosing Chamonix is, at its core, a continuation of KAILAS’s longstanding professional logic — not going overseas simply for the sake of going overseas, but going where professional sport truly happens.

Looking ahead, KAILAS will continue to build on product expertise, connect through athletes and events, and validate its capabilities in real mountain environments, deepening its long-term relationships with mountain sports communities around the world. The FUGA store in Chamonix is therefore more than a new retail location: it is a tangible result of years of professional investment in Europe and a new marker of KAILAS’s commitment to doing the difficult and meaningful work that takes time.

About KAILAS

Founded in 2003, KAILAS has grown into one of the world's leading climbing and mountain sports brands, committed to advancing mountaineering and exploration while providing high-performance outdoor equipment for athletes and dedicated enthusiasts.

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