As S’pore activewear manufacturers shutter, survivors are discovering new methods to remain

Singapore’s activewear scene started to sprout within the mid-2010s, driving on the worldwide health increase and the rise of boutique gyms, yoga studios, and life-style wellness traits.

Apart from well-known international manufacturers like Adidas and Lululemon, native manufacturers emerged, providing fashionable and practical attire that catered particularly to Asian wants, resembling physique kind and modesty. 

Nevertheless, Singapore’s enterprise panorama has solely develop into more difficult, particularly because the COVID-19 pandemic. Grappling with rising operational prices, persistent manpower shortages, evolving client behaviors, and international financial uncertainties, corporations have discovered survival removed from simple.

In truth, the overall variety of corporations compelled into obligatory liquidation (court-ordered closures attributable to debt) reached 187 within the first half of 2025—a five-year excessive for that interval. And final 12 months, Singapore noticed a 15-year document excessive, with 307 obligatory liquidations for your entire 12 months.

Native activewear manufacturers haven’t been spared, both. A number of, together with APHY and Move Funkie Studios, have folded in 2025, whereas even worldwide names like Sweaty Betty closed each its Singapore retailers this 12 months.

For the homegrown manufacturers that stay, survival meant adaptability and altering the way in which they operated.

We spoke to a number of native labels to grasp how they’re navigating Singapore’s high-cost surroundings, shifting client habits, and aggressive pressures—and what it takes to remain related in a market that’s as demanding as it’s vibrant.

1. Vivre Activewear

For some manufacturers, downsizing was seen as the correct transfer to maintain enterprise sustainable.

Based in 2014, Vivre Activewear entered the scene with a promise: high-quality yoga put on at accessible costs. Early success noticed day by day on-line gross sales of round S$1,000 and the opening of its first outlet at Far East Plaza.

At its peak, Vivre operated six retailers and achieved annual internet revenues of S$1.9 million in 2020 and 2021. However the pandemic years introduced a surge of rivals, notably online-only manufacturers providing “huge reductions” to realize market share. This, co-founder Sylvia Lim defined, “modified buyer expectations concerning pricing.”

With rental and manpower prices averaging S$30,000 per retailer, sustaining bodily retailers grew to become impractical. Shops that after earned five-digit income had been quickly barely breaking even.

By 2024, Vivre shuttered all bodily retailers. Working solely on-line allowed the model to “right-size” the enterprise, hold annual income beneath S$1 million, deregister GST, and enhance profitability via leaner e-commerce operations.

“At this stage, we don’t count on to see income development as we goal to stay small and agile whereas specializing in profitability,” stated Sylvia.

2. Outfyt

One other model that needed to face the implications of shifting client habits was Outfyt.

Established in 2016, the model is understood for minimal, fashionable activewear crafted from recycled nylon and polyester sourced from rescued fishing nets, carpet fluff, and industrial plastic waste—a deliberate transfer by founder Stephanie Colhag Yeo to advertise gradual vogue.

Outfyt began as a web-based retailer earlier than opening a boutique alongside Haji Lane in 2017. As a comparatively new model on the time, Stephanie shared that having a bodily retailer would permit the area people to expertise Outfyt’s attire in particular person. The model additionally hoped to succeed in a global viewers, as the situation was standard with vacationers.

Nevertheless, in mid-2025, Outfyt returned to an online-first mannequin to adapt to post-pandemic procuring habits. Through the years, Stephanie noticed that prospects more and more most well-liked shopping and attempting objects at residence.

Consumers have additionally develop into extra aware about their purchases, selecting sustainable and ethically made clothes.

This aligns properly with Outfyt’s sustainability focus, nevertheless it additionally provides one other layer of price on high of Singapore’s already excessive working bills. The primary problem, Stephanie famous, is balancing high quality, ethics, and affordability with out compromising the model’s core values.

That stated, retaining operations on-line has confirmed to be sustainable to date, although the model nonetheless hosts pop-ups sometimes to let prospects expertise its materials firsthand.

3. GLOWco

Different manufacturers have gotten inventive and adopted different strategic initiatives to navigating Singapore’s activewear market.

Based in 2019, modest activewear model GLOWco has a bodily presence, nevertheless it will get to maintain prices low by working a retailer in a non-mall edutainment constructing, Yo:Ha Industrial at Tampines. The house additionally doubles as a health studio, offering an extra income stream to maintain the model’s operations.

Initially a web-based model, GLOWco moved into the house in 2021. By day, prospects can go to its retail retailer by appointment to really feel materials, affirm sizes, and obtain personalised styling steerage—permitting the model to handle foot site visitors and improve the client expertise.

By night time, it transforms into GLOWco Transfer, a women-only health studio providing lessons resembling pilates and yoga from S$90/month. The model additionally hosts pop-ups at occasions and periods on the studio to strengthen group engagement with GLOWco.

Along with its bodily retailer, GLOWco has expanded its presence via consignment placements and e-commerce platforms. Its items can be found in Decathlon shops in each Singapore and Malaysia, and the model has additionally reached prospects via on-line marketplaces like Lazada and Shopee.

4. cheak

cheak, then again, has adopted a extra cautious method in direction of scaling up.

Previously referred to as butter., cheak was based in 2020 and was acquired by Love, Bonito two years later. It has since grown to develop into a recognised activewear model for Asian ladies.

The model has been deliberate about growth, taking 5 years to open its first standalone boutique at ION Orchard in Oct 2025. “Each determination we make takes numerous consideration in how we are able to scale cheak meaningfully,” stated co-founder Olivia Yiong.

Beforehand, Cheak operated primarily on-line and bought choose items in Love, Bonito’s regional shops to check the waters. With the ION Orchard retailer, the model hopes to broaden its buyer base. Whereas its present viewers is usually youthful consumers, the brand new location goals to draw vacationers and an older demographic.

cheak additionally intends to broaden into Malaysia. As a part of this technique, it launched a pop-up at APW Bangsar in September to gauge demand. The model has additionally collaborated with Malaysian fitness center GoodJuju on limited-edition items, which can be bought each at cheak and the fitness center.

With its bodily growth, the model tasks a 1.4 occasions development in comparison with final 12 months by letting native consumers expertise their full assortment in particular person.

Surviving the robust enterprise local weather

These Singaporean activewear manufacturers present that agility and flexibility are key to surviving the robust enterprise local weather.

Whether or not downsizing to e-commerce, pivoting to hybrid fashions, or taking a measured method to brick-and-mortar growth, they show that long-term sustainability and development depends upon constantly adapting to market adjustments, whereas additionally carving an area for themselves in an more and more saturated market, competing with international and native manufacturers alike.

• Learn extra tales we’ve written on Singaporean companies right here.

Featured Picture Credit score: Vivre Activewear, Outfyt, GLOWco, cheak