Puma focuses on women’s category in India

German sportswear brand Puma is now focusing on women’s category in India and is looking to drive its next phase of growth. The brand expects the segment to generate 30 per cent business from up from the current 28 per cent by next year. A Euromonitor report suggests despite a loss of Rs 3.6 crore last fiscal, Puma India remained a leading player in the fragmented sportswear category in 2016 with a retail value share of 4 per cent, followed by Adidas India and Nike India with a share of 3 per cent each.

Puma had signed up Virat Kohli as brand ambassador for Rs 100 crores giving it an edge over its rivals in the menswear segment. The company is now looking to focus at the women’s wear segment and nearly a third of its sales are expected from the category soon. Abhishek Ganguly, Managing Director, Puma India stated the company could see good growth in the women’s wear category and expects the segment to cross 30 per cent of the business by 2018.

Total sales, is likely to see a 20 per cent increase with apparels being a major growth driver. For Puma, 55 per cent of its turnover is from footwear while another 35 per cent is from apparels. Ganguly says, one of the reasons the sportswear-maker has been successful in the country is because of its cautious store expansion and the focus on Tier-II towns. The brand is looking to expand in smaller cities and is looking at alternatives not just in metros but also in Tier-II and III cities.

Puma has 360 stores across the country. The company is currently in the process of building its website to sell directly to customers in India and has made investments in technology worth Rs 120 crores.