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Product cover image for Shanshi Rock Climbing Gym: Bringing Climbing Culture to Chongqing and Beyond

Shanshi Rock Climbing Gym: Bringing Climbing Culture to Chongqing and Beyond

Jun Dai, Felipe Rodrigues

Product #:W44955
Supplier:Ivey
Discipline:Entrepreneurship, Marketing
Setting:China, 2024
Details:Case (PDF) • 8 pages • 2025-09-26

Subjects:

Customer experienceSales and marketingEntrepreneurshipMarketing

Industries:

Media, entertainment, and professional sports

Geography:

ChinaAsia
Your Price:$10.54

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The founder of Shanshi Rock Climbing Gym in China faced a critical decision in July 2024. After building Chongqing’s largest indoor climbing facility through innovative strategies—including women-centric programs, dynamic route updates, and social media-driven community engagement—she had to now choose between expansion and consolidation. China’s climbing market was booming, and Chongqing’s untapped potential tempted the founder to expand. Yet challenges loomed, including route-setting demands, staff training, and preserving the climbing gym's community ethos across locations. Partnerships and youth programs offered growth avenues, but the founder had to balance ambition with sustainability. Was it the right time to scale up, or should she focus on refining what she had already built?

Learning Objectives

This case study is well suited to an introductory module in an entrepreneurship, marketing, or sports management undergraduate and/or master of business administration course. It provides a practical example of integrating personal passion into business, developing competitive strategy and market positioning, conducting market analysis and gaining customer insights, and exploring growth and expansion strategies.

The case challenges students to analyze the strategic, operational, and cultural complexities of scaling a niche business in a rapidly growing market. Through the lens of SRC’s founder, participants will do the following:
  • Evaluate entrepreneurial vision and context.
  • Analyze operational trade-offs in scaling.
  • Design customer-centric innovations.
  • Apply market data to strategic decisions.
  • Formulate balanced growth strategies.
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Case Study: Shanshi Rock Climbing Gym: Bringing Climbing Culture to Chongqing and Beyond (English version) | Ivey Publishing