Sportswear firms and niche apps are not the only ones riding the wave of fitness craze in China. Makers of wearables devices like smart bands and watches have jumped on the fitness products bandwagon, promising to bring brands that are already making waves in advanced markets.

They are out to impress prospective consumers such as Zhang Xue, a 27-year-old primary school teacher in Beijing. Zhang is on the lookout for a smartwatch and has been trawling Alibaba Group Holding Ltd's Tmall platform and other online shops to pick the best deal.

"I want to buy a smart device that can analyze my daily exercise and tell me more about calories burned, the number of paces taken and distance covered. I haven't decided which one to buy because there are too many brands."