ANTA launch in Israel: Castro collaborates with competitor Renuar

After the Castro group announced about a month ago its intention to bring the Chinese sports brand ANTA to Israel, the company has now revealed that it is collaborating with the competing fashion group Renuar to jointly establish the brand's operations in Israel, subject to approval by the Competition Authority.

As recalled, at the beginning of July, Castro-Hoodies signed a distribution agreement with the Chinese sportswear giant ANTA. Joint operations are expected to begin during 2027, with an estimated initial investment of approximately 30 million shekels.

According to the agreement, Castro-Hoodies will hold 51% of the subsidiary that will manage ANTA in Israel, Renuar will hold 39%, and Israel Chen will hold the remaining 10% and be appointed CEO of the operation. The joint company plans to operate through three channels: establishing a chain of brand stores, wholesale distribution, and an online sales platform.

To establish these operations, the joint venture will purchase assets from ING (ING Sport Trading), which is 50% owned by Renuar and currently operates in the import and distribution of sports brands. As part of the deal, the Israeli ANTA entity is expected to acquire rights to ING's points of sale, absorb employees, and utilize existing infrastructure.

This move is intended to allow the partnership to begin activity based on existing retail and operational infrastructure rather than building from scratch.

ING, founded and managed by Israel Chen, has been operating for about a decade in the import and wholesale of sports footwear and apparel. Among other things, the company was the importer of the Swiss shoe brand On in Israel. Chen, who currently holds shares in ING alongside Renuar, will move to lead the new ANTA operation.

Revenues of billions of dollars

ANTA is one of the largest sports companies in China and is traded on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange. The company has more than 10,000 stores in China and about 250 points of sale outside the country. In 2025, its revenues amounted to approximately 11.6 billion dollars.

Alongside its namesake brand, it is the controlling shareholder of the Finnish company Amer Sports, whose portfolio includes other leading sports brands. In addition, it is the largest shareholder in Puma.

As mentioned, the completion of the partnership and the acquisition of assets from ING remain subject to conditions precedent, including obtaining approvals from third parties and the Competition Authority. Therefore, the transactions have not yet been finalized, and at this stage, there is no certainty that all conditions will be met.