Adidas plans global drive to grab market share

German sports major Adidas is launching a global drive including in India to gain market share amid stiff competition from rivals like Nike and Puma in the country. As a part of the 1.5-billion euros (over Rs 10,800 crores) initiative, the company will launch new products, rope in global celebrities to endorse them, among many other initiatives.

The plan is to race ahead of competition in key cities like Los Angeles, New York, London, Paris, Shanghai and Tokyo. It is also developing a tool kit which will be applied to hundreds of cities globally including Delhi, Mumbai, Bangalore and Chennai. The brand is already associated with Royal Challengers Bangalore and soccer teams like Pune and Goa.

The company is planning to sign up popular celebs like Virat Kohli to endorse its range. Adidas has also signed a 10-year agreement with Manchester United and on July 1 it will unveil a range of shirts from Manchester United globally. With about 750 stores in India, it will look at further developing and growing the brand in the country.