A recent translation blunder in a product description on Adidas's official flagship store has unexpectedly sparked a massive online buzz.
The copy for a form-fitting jacket read: "Wear this adidas jacket with a T-shirt to the gym, or with jeans to run errands in the city." The awkwardly literal phrase "run errands in the city" became a viral joke, with netizens dubbing the item the "exclusive battle gear for going into the city" and spawning memes like "wear adi to run das."
The product in question is the adidas Optime Essentials full-zip jacket. The original English description, "pair it with jeans for errands around town," was intended to suggest a casual look for short trips or daily chores in an urban setting. The clumsy translation led many to question whether it was a result of poor machine translation or a failure in the review process, highlighting issues with Adidas's localization and cultural sensitivity.
In response, customer service for the official Adidas flagship store stated that "the page has now been optimized." They did not directly address questions about the translation error or the review process failure.
Adidas then leveraged the viral meme for a textbook example of converting online attention into sales. The brand not only curated a "running errands in the city" outfit collection but also quickly launched a custom T-shirt priced at 448 yuan. Staff at some Adidas stores reported high demand and even purchase limits due to strong sales.
However, this strategy of selling based on a meme has reignited controversy. Netizens pointed out that the 448 yuan price tag for the custom T-shirt is nearly double the 229 yuan price of the original jacket involved in the blunder and is also significantly higher than other similar white T-shirts sold by Adidas. One consumer remarked, "What you're buying for 448 yuan isn't a T-shirt, it's Adidas's 'meme tax.'" Others quipped, "Is this for running errands or robbing people in the city?" and "At this price, I can't afford to run any errands."
Launching the 448 Yuan "Errands" T-Shirt: Staff Report Strong Sales
The translation error on the jacket's product page attracted widespread attention after a netizen spotted the odd phrasing.
The original English line was a simple suggestion for a casual outfit. The direct, unpolished Chinese translation created a stark contrast with the brand's usual trendy image, fueling its spread on social media.
As the joke gained momentum, Adidas's official account joined in. They posted a styling collection with the caption "These pieces are suitable for running errands in the city" and announced that the product description had been corrected. Notably, they also released a video showcasing a T-shirt printed with the phrase "running errands in the city" and the Adidas logo, accompanied by the text: "How did you know my special T-shirt for city errands is already ready?"
Further investigation revealed that Adidas's "errands series" was already available for purchase through several channels, including five brand centers in cities like Beijing and Chengdu, as well as the brand's app and mini-program. The base T-shirt costs 399 yuan, with an additional 49 yuan for the special "city" print, bringing the total to 448 yuan per custom shirt.
Store staff confirmed high interest and sales, with some locations implementing purchase limits. Promotional slogans for the T-shirt included lines like: "Teacher, the student you once looked down on the most is now wearing Adidas to run errands in the city" and "Wear ADI, run DAS."
The staff also noted that as custom printing and embroidery services constitute special product customization, items are non-refundable and non-exchangeable once sold, with shipping available on the same day.
Multiple Instances of Creative and Copy "Failures"
The question remains: why did the "errands in the city" blunder go viral, and is this "down-to-earth" label beneficial or harmful for the brand?
An industry analyst suggested that the incident was essentially a low-level mistake caused by a gap in the copy review process during localization, exposing a weakness in how international brands polish content for local markets.
From a results perspective, however, the accidental blunder turned into a textbook case of crisis management and viral marketing. The analyst noted that in an era of information overload, Adidas gained massive, cost-free exposure through user-generated memes. The team then quickly capitalized on the heat by launching the custom T-shirt, transforming a potential brand negative into tangible sales growth.
Regarding the brand impact of the "errands" label, the analyst stated that while it might seem overly "folksy" and could temporarily affect the brand's high-end image for some consumers, the value of breaking through social circles and engaging users in today's entertainment-driven internet culture far outweighs any short-term impact on brand perception. It breaks down the usual aloofness of foreign brands and connects Adidas with consumers' daily lives in a way traditional advertising cannot.
However, a marketing professional cautioned that this incident was purely accidental and not replicable; in most cases, such a mistake would result in a full-blown PR crisis.
This is not Adidas's first misstep in localization. In 2023, the brand faced backlash for a product image showing shoes stepping on what appeared to be a historical painted pottery jar. In late 2025, its New Chinese Style autumn/winter collection, featuring traditional elements like frog buttons and mandarin collars, received mixed reviews and was criticized for being an awkward fusion of styles.
In 2021, Adidas's global sales grew by 15.2% to approximately 21.2 billion euros. However, growth in Greater China was only 3%, significantly lagging behind global and other regional performance. This was followed by several consecutive quarters of declining sales in Greater China, leading to the early departure of then-CEO Kasper Rorsted in 2023. Rorsted later admitted the company had "made mistakes" and "did not understand consumers well enough," leaving room for Chinese competitors. He noted that Chinese consumers increasingly prefer products with a "Chinese feel."
Twelve Consecutive Quarters of Growth, Yet Store Closures Continue
Adidas recently released its Q1 2026 financial results. Global revenue reached 6.6 billion euros, a 14% year-over-year increase. Operating profit grew 16% to 705 million euros, with an operating margin of 10.7%. Gross margin remained stable at 51.1%.
As one of its most important strategic markets, Greater China again delivered double-digit growth, with Q1 revenue of 1.14 billion euros, up 17% year-over-year. This marks the twelfth consecutive quarter of growth for the region.
During an earnings call, management noted that business improved in Q1 compared to the previous year, citing slightly better pricing and effective discount control. They indicated that overall business indicators, including product mix and channel structure, were developing positively, with product costs and freight rates largely stable and normalized.
The analyst believes Adidas's sustained growth stems from a clear focus on and execution of three strategic directions: localization, premiumization, and fashion.
She elaborated that this involves significant organizational empowerment, with substantial decision-making authority over product development, marketing, and channels given to local management teams in China, leading to products that better align with local consumer tastes. The brand has also anchored itself in a premium strategy, leveraging its sports technology heritage while launching high-end lines to attract upscale customers. Finally, it has capitalized on the trend of athleisure, expanding into casual wear scenarios to move products from the sports field into daily life, thereby broadening its consumer base.
Despite this strong financial performance, Adidas's wave of store closures in the Chinese market continues. In a 2022 Q2 earnings call, executives mentioned increased promotional activities, especially in Greater China, to clear excess inventory. That same year, media reports indicated the closure of 2,000 NEO stores in China as part of cost-cutting measures.
In recent years, the list of store closures has grown longer, covering various commercial districts from first-tier cities to popular tourist destinations. Consumer reports on social media indicate closures of stores in locations like Zhuhai Walmart, Shanghai West Nanjing Road, Sanya Outlets, and Dalian MixC.
On May 27, Top Sports International Ltd., a long-term partner that operates Adidas stores, released its annual report for the fiscal year ending February 28, 2026. Revenue fell 4.71% to 25.74 billion yuan, with net profit attributable to owners down 1.49% to 1.267 billion yuan.
During the period, the number of Top Sports stores decreased from 5,020 to 4,360, a net reduction of 660 stores for the year. Over the past four fiscal years (2023-2026), the company has closed a net total of 3,335 stores, with the total store count plummeting 43.3% from 7,695 at the beginning of fiscal 2023 to 4,360.
The analyst views this phenomenon of "rising sales but shrinking stores" as a result of both active strategic optimization and passive market adaptation. The deep integration of online and offline channels is an inevitable trend in retail digitization. By closing inefficient or unprofitable street-side and community stores, Adidas is essentially streamlining its operations, concentrating resources on flagship and experience stores in core commercial areas. This allows for digital transformation and enhanced in-store experiences, improving single-store efficiency and profitability while reinforcing the brand's premium image.
Nevertheless, she acknowledges that Adidas's long-term market competitiveness has indeed gradually weakened. Despite achieving consecutive quarters of revenue growth and some market share recovery, it can likely never return to its historical peak levels seen around 2018, as the market share it lost has been firmly captured by domestic brands.
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