herzogenaurach, germany, june 10, 2021
ONLY SEE GREAT:NEYMAR JR. INSPIRES CHILDREN FROM BRAZIL WITH INCREDIBLE SURPRISE

Global superstar Neymar Jr. and PUMA teamed up to bring a special surprise to the children of Brazilian football club Centro da Coroa FC to encourage them to chase their dreams and to ‘Only See Great’.

Only See Great’ inspires the next generation to achieve greatness on and off the pitch, to believe in themselves and pursue their dreams. As part of the platform, Neymar Jr. and PUMA hosted a memorable day for the children of Centro da Coroa FC – a local football club located in Neymar Jr’s home state of São Paolo. As a child Neymar Jr. met his heroes, who inspired him to achieve greatness, now Neymar Jr. wants to do the same for young promising stars of the future. The children received PUMA x Neymar Jr. gifts and a special piece of paper with a message from their hero Neymar Jr. asking them to draw their dreams. After the children finished drawing, Neymar Jr. appeared on screen, creating an incredible surprise.

“Centro da Coroa FC is a football club striving to bring children closer to sport and support them on this path,” said Thadeu P. Nogueira, Football Director at Centro da Coroa FC. “Having Neymar Jr. and PUMA do something so special for the children will live long in the memory. This has been one of the best days of their lives and has encouraged them to keep dreaming.”


“Today was an emotional day, to share my experiences and inspirations with children from my home country, it filled me with so much joy,” said Neymar Jr. “I come from humble beginnings too, so I wanted to inspire them to follow their dreams no matter what their situation or where they start in life. Have faith and dream big.”

 

NJR-OSG-KIDS
herzogenaurach, germany, june 16, 2021
ONLY SEE GREAT:ANTOINE GRIEZMANN GIVES BACK TO CHILDREN FROM HIS HOMETOWN CLUB U.F MÂCONNAIS
Global sports Company PUMA has partnered with France superstar Antoine Griezmann to give back to his local football club in Mâcon before heading to the European Championships with France.

As part of PUMA’s ‘Only See Great’ platform Antoine reached out to U.F Mâconnais to give back to the children with amazing gifts and a special video message to inspire the next generation of young football hopefuls.

PUMA’s ‘Only See Great’ platform represents inspiring the next generation to achieve greatness on and off the pitch. As a child Antoine met his heroes, who inspired him to achieve greatness, now Antoine wants to do the same for young promising stars of the future.

After receiving gifts from their hero, the children performed special goal celebrations for Antoine - who is renowned for his unique celebrations, to inspire him and send good luck messages to their hero before he sets his sights on achieving greatness with France at the European Championships. 

Herzogenaurach, Germany, June 22, 2021
PUMA welcomes NHL All-Star Leon Draisaitl as brand ambassador
Global sports company PUMA has signed a long-term agreement with NHL All-Star Leon Draisaitl, who will become the first NHL ice hockey player to join the company as a brand ambassador.

Draisaitl is one of the NHL’s most successful players of his generation. In the 2019/20 season, Draisaitl firmly left his mark on the sport by becoming the first German player to win the Art Ross Trophy for scoring the most points and also being named the most valuable and most outstanding player in the NHL that year. He was also voted athlete of the year in Germany in 2020.

“Joining the PUMA Family as the first NHL player is something very special,” said Leon Draisaitl. “PUMA has teamed up with many great athletes such as Usain Bolt and Neymar Jr. and I’m excited to be part of this group.”

“Leon is a is a global star in one of the fastest and toughest sports,” said PUMA Chief Executive Officer Bjørn Gulden. “His performance, attitude and personality make him a perfect fit for PUMA!”

Draisaitl will wear PUMA’s training products including FUSE and Cloudspun apparel.

 

 
Herzogenaurach, Germany, June 24, 2021
PUMA commits to protecting forests in partnership with NGO Canopy
Sports company PUMA has committed to protecting forests around the world when sourcing paper, cardboard, and viscose, as part of its new partnership with not-for-profit environmental organization Canopy.

When PUMA products contain viscose, the raw material must come from top-of-class fibre producers which are regularly audited and then ranked by Canopy in its Hot Button Report. By procuring only from suppliers that achieve a top rating from Canopy, PUMA is avoiding risk of sourcing from ancient or endangered forests.

“Forests play a key role as carbon sinks and water reservoirs,’ said Stefan Seidel, Head of Corporate Sustainability at PUMA. “With our new Forestry Policy, we will ensure that PUMA is part of the solution to protect Ancient and Endangered Forests around the world.”

As part of its agreement with Canopy, PUMA has signed up to the Pack4Good and CanopyStyle initiatives, which work to empower supply chains to save forests, and bring alternative, next generation solutions to the mainstream, both in packaging and viscose production.

“We’re very excited to welcome sportswear giant PUMA to the CanopyStyle and Pack4Good initiatives,” said Nicole Rycroft, Canopy’s Executive Director. “Transforming unsustainable supply chains is vital to keep forests standing, protect biodiversity, and stabilize the world’s climate. PUMA strives to be at the front of the pack and today they are clearly demonstrating that leadership.”

More information about PUMA's Biodiversity and Forest Protection Policy can be found on the Forever Better section of our website.

Image Credit: Paul Hilton

 

Herzogenaurach, germany, june 29, 2021
THE SPEED DISCO KING:KINGSLEY COMAN TALKS FOOTBALL FASHION WITH SEPP MAGAZINE
Global football star and PUMA athlete Kingsley Coman has graced the cover of prestigious football fashion magazine SEPP to talk THAT 2020 Champions League winning goal, the latest trends in men’s fashion and gives an exclusive look behind the curtain of his incredible journey to football stardom, having captured his 10th consecutive league title.

In the iconic Paradiso, one of Munich’s most storied discothèques, Kingsley serves up looks every bit as memorable as his on pitch heroics with key looks handmade by Germany’s leading bespoke tailor, Detlev Diehm, complimented with hand-stitched PUMA archive pieces. Elegance is the latest trend in Men’s fashion and Coman takes this to new levels showing a never-before-seen side to The Speed Disco King.

Launched in 2002, SEPP magazine is a football fashion publication that taps into players rare ability to convey and magnify style trends. SEPP showcases football’s biggest personalities, the cross over culture and fashions relationship with sport. Published every two years for the World Cup and European Championships, SEPP features world famous football players modeling for bespoke fashion shoots, showcasing the off-pitch personalities of the stars of the beautiful game.

(Photo credit - Julia von der Heide for SEPP Football Fashion)

SEPP Magazine Nr.11 is available to purchase here.

Boston, Massachusetts, July 5, 2021
PUMA signs double event US National Champion JuVaughn Harrison
Global sports brand PUMA has signed JuVaughn Harrison, the freshly crowned U.S. National Champion in both the men’s high jump and long jump at the recent US Olympic track and field trials, where he qualified for the 2021 Tokyo Olympics. JuVaughn will be the first US athlete to compete in both high jump and long jump since 1912.

The 22-year-old JuVaughn pulled off the epic double last week in Eugene, where he also punched his ticket to the Games on the last day at Hayward Field to close out the U.S. Track and Field Championships. JuVaughn first cleared a solid 2.33 meters in the afternoon, and later returned that evening with an impressive 8.47 meters in the long jump.

“JuVaughn Harrison is one of the most exciting athletes in all of the sport of Track and Field,” said Pascal Rolling, Head of Running Sports Marketing at PUMA. “He has not just the talent, but also the personality and confidence to help him go far. You don’t come across many athletes who are as good in either event, let alone able to set personal bests in both the high jump and long jump within hours of each other at major championships.”

JuVaughn will join fellow LSU alumnus Mondo Duplantis in the PUMA Family of world-class athletes and brand ambassadors and will add to an already incredibly strong roster of jumpers across multiple events.

“PUMA just felt like the right fit,” said JuVaughn. “They have several athletes who are simply at the top in their respective event, including my friend Mondo Duplantis. I’m excited to be part of such an elite group. On a side note, my parents are Jamaican, so growing up I followed athletes like Usain Bolt and so it makes me proud to join such a brand and be part of the legacy.” The newly crowned US champion has not lost a high jump competition since March 30, 2019, - which includes 15 straight competitions in the high jump that he hasn’t been beaten.


herzogenaurach, germany, july 12, 2021
FASTER+: PUMA joins forces with Mercedes AMG Petronas F1 to create its fastest ever Track & Field spikes

Sports company PUMA and Mercedes AMG Petronas F1 have teamed up to create PUMA’s fastest, lightest and most propulsive Track & Field spike to date.

Together with Mercedes AMG Petronas F1, PUMA applied engineering insights from the world of Formula 1 and automotive to design the EVOSPEED TOKYO FUTURE FASTER+ and the EVOSPEED TOKYO FUTURE NITRO FASTER+ for its athletes, including Karsten Warholm, Norwegian hurdler, World Record holder, World Champion and European Champion, and André De Grasse, Canadian sprinter and Olympic silver medalist.

“To make the best spikes for our athletes, that comply with the regulations, we connected the engineers of Mercedes AGM Petronas F1 with our best footwear people,” said PUMA CEO Bjørn Gulden. “With the input from our athletes and their coaches, the team developed the best spikes PUMA has ever made.”

Learnings and technological advances from the FASTER+ program were also passed down and integrated into other track and field spikes for athletes such as Ukrainian high jumper Yaroslava Mahuchikh, Swedish pole vaulter Armand “Mondo” Duplantis and Swiss sprinter Ajla Del Ponte. “The FASTER+ program is about creating elite products for our elite athletes to help them excel in their sport” said Erin Longin, Global Director Run/Train at PUMA. “We believe that together with Mercedes AMG Petronas, we have created unique, innovation-led Track and Field spikes that will help our athletes run faster, jump farther and soar higher.”

“This collaboration with PUMA has been a natural alignment – track spikes need to run fast, and racing cars need to drive fast,” said Toto Wolff, CEO of Mercedes AMG Petronas Motorsport Formula One Team. “Whether you’re designing a great racing car or the perfect track spike, it comes down to engineering and putting as much performance as possible into the product. We have drawn on our experience and expertise in carbon fibre with the design, and along the way we learned that making an innovative track spike involves the same kind of complexity as a Formula One car – and it has been an exciting challenge to tackle together. Working closely with a trusted partner like PUMA, I believe this FASTER+ track and field spike is just the beginning of the collaboration between the two companies when it comes to innovation.”

 

The EVOSPEED TOKYO FUTURE FASTER+ was designed together with 400m hurdles World Record Holder Karsten Warholm and his coach. The spike’s upper is infused with carbon fiber threads and its sole has a carbon plate, engineered by Mercedes AMG Petronas, with permanent titanium pins. It weighs 135 grams.

„What’s important for me is that I run very much on my forefoot,“ said Karsten. “This is why you want the carbon fiber plate to push you in the right direction, so when you land you want the plate to bend in the right way and return the energy. When you sprint, you have a very short amount of contact time with the ground, only 1/10th of a second, so you want the plate to answer very quickly. Therefore, I want the carbon to be stiff enough that I get the return before I leave the ground. That helps me run even faster.”

 

Puma - Copyright

To respond to the needs of Canadian 100m and 200m sprinter Andre De Grasse, the EVOSPEED TOKYO FUTURE NITRO FASTER+ includes PUMA’s proprietary NITRO Foam in addition to the Mercedes AMG Petronas engineered carbon plate for added rebound. It weighs 199 grams.


“I believe that the partnership between PUMA and Mercedes AMG Petronas F1 is excellent for the brand. It’s pretty cool that I actually have the carbon fiber in my spikes that’s going into the F1 cars that Lewis Hamilton races in," said Andre. "The stiffness of the plate is just amazing because I’m able to get off the ground as quickly as possible. Having this propulsion forward at the start of the race and being able to rebound and get off the ground as quickly as possible make these spikes just perfect for my 100m race."


PUMA’s FASTER+ program applies engineering insights from every corner of sport culture to our PUMA sports products. Benefits are focused on helping our athletes excel in their sport by looking beyond their typical field of play to make them better, faster, stronger.  

 

Andre de Grasse PUMA Faster Plus

“What I feel is very unique about this project is that it combines the best of all the worlds,” added Karsten. “It combines what PUMA knows about how to make a shoe that’s comfortable and fits your foot. It combines what Mercedes knows about carbon fiber through their Formula 1 work and it combines what my coach and I know about running and the biomechanics for running. This is very unique and it has given us the perfect product for us to work on the track - a spike that is really aggressive, with a really good forward propulsion, and it gives me all the tools I need to be the best version of myself. “

 

Karsten Warholm

FASTER+ is part of PUMA’s Only See Great’ campaign – launched in the spring of 2021 - to convey a spirit of optimism, hope and self-belief – following a difficult year and leading up to major sports moments.

 

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Herzogenaurach, July 16, 2021
PUMA releases preliminary results for the second quarter 2021 and raises full-year outlook for 2021

Based on continued brand momentum, successful product launches with high sell-throughs and strong growth across all regions, especially in North America, PUMA’s currency-adjusted sales increased by approx. 96% to € 1,589 million (Q2 2020: € 831 million) and the operating result (EBIT) increased to approx. € 109 million (Q2 2020: € -115 million) in the second quarter 2021.

In light of the strong second-quarter growth in sales and profitability but also taking into consideration the continued uncertainties related to the COVID-19 pandemic, political tensions in key markets and supply chain constraints due to container shortages and port congestion, PUMA now expects the currency-adjusted sales to increase by at least 20% (previous outlook: mid-teens currency-adjusted sales growth) in the financial year 2021. Our outlook for the operating result (EBIT) has been further specified and is now anticipated to come in between € 400 million and € 500 million (previous outlook: significant improvement). In line with the previous outlook, we do not provide a detailed outlook on our gross profit margin and OPEX-ratio. Our net earnings are still expected to improve significantly in 2021.
The achievement of our outlook is subject to continued manufacturing operations in our key sourcing countries such as Vietnam and China and no major interruptions due to COVID-19. 

A complete overview of PUMA’s business development for the second quarter 2021 will be published on July 29, 2021.

 

HERZOGENAURACH, GERMANY, JULY 19, 2021
Richard Teyssier appointed as PUMA’s General Manager Europe

Sports company PUMA has appointed Richard Teyssier (53) as General Manager Europe, effective September 1, 2021. In this role, Richard succeeds Arne Freundt, who was appointed as PUMA’s Chief Commercial Officer in June.

Richard will oversee the Areas Central Europe, France, UK & Ireland, Southern Europe, Nordics and Retail Europe. Richard will report into Arne Freundt and will be based at the company’s headquarters in Herzogenaurach, Germany. Prior to this new role, Richard had been General Manager PUMA France since 2010 before joining from Mars Company.

Christophe Cance (47) will succeed Richard as Area General Manager for PUMA France. He has held different sales functions since he joined PUMA in 2008. Prior to this, he worked at Adidas and New Balance. Christophe will be based in Strasbourg and report into Richard. 

herzogenaurach, germany, july 29, 2021
PUMA reports strong Growth in the second Quarter due to continued Brand Momentum and operational Flexibility

2021 Second Quarter Facts

  • Sales increase by 96% currency adjusted (ca) to € 1,589 million (Q2 2020: € 831 million)
  • Gross profit margin improves to 47.5% (Q2 2020: 43.9%)
  • Operating expenses (OPEX) increase to € 650 million (Q2 2020: € 484 million)
  • Operating result (EBIT) improves to € 109 million (Q2 2020: € -115 million)
  • Net earnings improve to € 49 million (Q2 2020: € -96 million)
  • PUMA team Italy wins the UEFA Euro 2020
  • In the FASTER+ programme, PUMA joins forces with MERCEDES AMG PETRONAS F1 to create its fastest ever track & field spikes
  • PUMA athlete Karsten Warholm breaks the 29-year-old 400m hurdles World Record, wearing the spikes developed in the FASTER+ programme
  • PUMA signs a long-term partnership with Breanna “Stewie” Stewart, the most valuable player in the WNBA
  • PUMA athlete LaMelo Ball is NBA’s Rookie of the Year
  • PUMA commits to protecting forests in partnership with NGO Canopy
  • PUMA appoints Hubert Hinterseher as its new Chief Financial Officer and Arne Freundt as its new Chief Commercial Officer starting June 1

 

2021 HALF-YEAR FACTS

  • Sales increase by 54% (ca) to € 3,138 million (H1 2020: € 2,131 million)
  • Gross profit margin improves to 48.0% (H1 2020: 46.2%)
  • Operating expenses (OPEX) increase to € 1,252 million (H1 2020: € 1,037 million)
  • Operating result (EBIT) improves to € 263 million (H1 2020: € -44 million)
  • Net earnings improve to € 158 million (H1 2020: € -59 million)
  • PUMA launches new running technology NITRO PUMA launches the SHE MOVES US communication platform to celebrate women
  • PUMA launches new running technology NITRO PUMA launches the SHE MOVES US communication platform to celebrate women
  • PUMA unveils ONLY SEE GREAT brand campaign to spark optimism and self-belie
  • PUMA’s new multi-channel distribution center in Geiselwind, Germany, starts operations

 

Bjørn Gulden, Chief Executive Officer of PUMA SE:

“The second quarter was a very good quarter for us. Despite a lot of operational issues, we saw very strong growth both in sales and profitability. Supply has been difficult with a shortage in freight capacity, harbor congestion and COVID-19 restrictions in certain sourcing countries. I am very proud of how our organization has maneuvered through all of these issues and how we managed to achieve these results in the second quarter. Demand for our products in performance, comfort and lifestyle has been strong. The cooperation with our sourcing and retail partners has become even stronger during the COVID-19 pandemic and this continued to help us in the second quarter. We are, of course, still worried about the impact COVID-19 will continue to have on our business in the short-term, now especially in the supply chain, but we continue to be very positive for the mid-term outlook for our sector in general and specifically for PUMA. We are very proud of Italy having won the European Championship in football, playing in our products, and we look forward to great Olympic Games in Tokyo.”

 

Italy

Second Quarter 2021

Sales increased by 95.8% (ca) to € 1,589.1 million (+91.2% reported). All regions and product divisions contributed with at least double-digit sales increases (ca). Americas reported the strongest growth of 181.8% (ca), driven by strong demand for the PUMA brand in the North American market, followed by EMEA, which improved 85.4% (ca) and Asia/Pacific being up 29.6% (ca). Footwear was the growth driver (+114.0% ca), based on continued strong performance of our Running and Training as well as Sportstyle categories. Also, Apparel (+85.5% ca) and Accessories (+72.2% ca) showed strong growth in the second quarter of 2021. Compared to the second quarter of 2019, sales were up 36.3% (ca) with all regions and product divisions delivering double-digit increases.

PUMA’s Wholesale business grew by 114.2% (ca) to € 1,200.0 million. The Direct to Consumer business (DTC) increased by 54.7% (ca) to € 389.1 million with growth in owned & operated retail stores (+107.0% ca) and e-commerce (+8.5% ca). After stores gradually reopened in the second quarter, demand shifted partially from the e-commerce channel to retail stores, while the overall underlying demand for the PUMA brand was strong.

The gross profit margin in the second quarter improved by 360 basis points to 47.5% (Q2 2020: 43.9% / Q2 2019: 49.3%). The improvement in gross profit margin was driven by better sell-through and less promotional activity, while inefficiencies in the supply chain including inbound freight had a negative impact.

Operating expenses (OPEX) increased by 34.5% to € 650.4 million (Q2 2020: € 483.5 million / Q2 2019: € 531.6 million) due to higher marketing expenses as well as sales-related distribution and warehousing costs. As a result of COVID-19, we continued to face operating inefficiencies in our business. The OPEX ratio in percent of total sales decreased from 58.2% in the second quarter of 2020 to 40.9% in the second quarter of 2021 (Q2 2019: 43.3%).

The operating result (EBIT) in the second quarter increased to € 108.9 million (Q2 2020: € -114.8 million / Q2 2019: € 80.3 million) due to strong sales growth, higher gross profit margin and continued OPEX control. This resulted in an improved EBIT margin of 6.9% in the second quarter of 2021 (Q2 2020: -13.8% / Q2 2019: 6.5%).

Net earnings increased from € -95.6 million to € 48.7 million and earnings per share improved from € -0.64 in the second quarter of 2020 to € 0.33 in the second quarter of 2021.

First Half-Year 2021

Sales increased by 53.6% (ca) to € 3,137.9 million (+47.3% reported). The strong sales development was driven by double-digit growth rates in all regions and product divisions. Compared to the first half of 2019, PUMA’s sales grew 30.0% (ca).

The Wholesale business was up 57.3% (ca) to € 2,402.0 million while the Direct to Consumer business (DTC) increased by 42.7% (ca) to € 735.9 million with growth in owned & operated retails stores (+49.2% ca) as well as e-commerce (+33.5% ca).

The gross profit margin in the first half of 2021 improved by 180 basis points to 48.0% (H1 2020: 46.2% / H1 2019: 49.2%). The improvement in gross profit margin was driven by better sell-through, less promotional activity and a low base in 2020 due to the negative impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Operating expenses (OPEX) increased by 20.7% to € 1,251.5 million (H1 2020: € 1,036.8 million / H1 2019: € 1,042.3 million) due to higher marketing expenses, sales-related distribution and warehousing costs as well as operating inefficiencies due to COVID-19. The respective OPEX ratio in percent of total sales decreased from 48.7% in the first half of 2020 to 39.9% in the first half of 2021 (H1 2019: 40.9%).

The operating result (EBIT) in the first half of 2021 increased significantly to € 263.2 million (H1 2020: € -43.6 million / H1 2019: € 222.8 million) due to strong sales growth, higher gross profit margin and continued OPEX control. This resulted in an improved EBIT margin of 8.4% in the first half of 2021 (H1 2020: -2.0% / H1 2019: 8.8%).

Net earnings increased from € -59.4 million to € 157.8 million and earnings per share were up from € -0.40 in the first half of 2020 to € 1.06 in the first half of 2021.

Working Capital

The working capital increased by 6.1% to € 691.9 million (June 30, 2020: 652.1 million). Inventories were up by 7.7% at € 1,388.7 million despite the supply chain constraints due to container shortages and port congestion. As a result of the strong sales development in the second quarter, trade receivables rose by 62.6% to € 931.1 million and on the liabilities side, trade payables were up by 39.9% to € 1,270.6 million.

 

Cash Flow and Liquidity Situation

The free cash flow in the first half of 2021 improved significantly to € 24.6 million (H1 2020: € -206.0 million). This development was a result of the strong increase of earnings before taxes (EBT), while cash outflows for working capital and capital expenditures increased. PUMA’s cash and cash equivalents as of June 30, 2021 amounted to € 755.2 million (June 30, 2020: € 437.0 million). In addition, at the end of the second quarter, PUMA had unutilized credit facilities amounting to a total of € 934 million (June 30, 2020: € 1,263 million). 

Outlook 2021

2021 started with an all-time high of COVID-19 cases globally and continued restrictions for our operations in numerous markets as well as supply chain constraints due to container shortages and port congestion. In addition to the implications from the COVID-19 pandemic, political tensions in some of our key markets also had a significant impact on our business. Despite the uncertainty, PUMA has maneuvered well throughout the first half of the year based on continued brand momentum, successful product launches with high sell-through and a strong focus on flexibility in our operations.

In light of the sales and profitability growth, especially in the second quarter, PUMA now expects the currency-adjusted sales to increase at least 20% (previous outlook: mid-teens currency-adjusted sales growth) in the financial year 2021. The outlook for the operating result (EBIT) has been further specified and is now anticipated to come in between € 400 million and € 500 million (previous outlook: significant improvement). In line with the previous outlook, we do not provide a detailed outlook on our gross profit margin and OPEX-ratio. Our net earnings are still expected to improve significantly in 2021.

As COVID-19 cases are rapidly growing in key sourcing countries in Asia, securing the supply of our products remains a high priority for us. The recent lockdown measures taken by the government in Vietnam result in suspended production at some of our suppliers in South Vietnam. As the duration, intensity and a potential extension of the lockdown measures to other countries remains uncertain, the achievement of our outlook will be subject to continued manufacturing without further major interruptions due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

PUMA will continue to mitigate the negative short-term implications of the COVID-19 pandemic by building on its brand momentum and the strong relationships which it gained from being a reliable partner, especially throughout 2020. Our strong and profitable growth in the first half of 2021, a strong product line-up for the rest of the year and very good feedback from retail partners and consumers make us confident for the mid-term success and growth of PUMA.
 

Brand and Strategy Update

Following a year marked by the COVID-19 pandemic, PUMA started 2021 with a strong orderbook across all regions. Despite first positive signs regarding the development of the pandemic, especially in the second quarter, we had to manage the implications of lockdowns and restrictions in different markets and sourcing countries. Wherever needed, we focused on working together with all of our partners to manage the short-term challenges, such as store and factory closures, without hindering our mid-term momentum.

The health and safety of our partners, customers and employees remained a top priority in the first half. Where it was possible, we offered COVID-19 vaccines to our employees. At our headquarters in Herzogenaurach, Germany, PUMA vaccinated more than 1,000 employees and 90 percent of our staff was fully vaccinated by mid-July. In India, which was hit exceptionally hard by COVID-19 in the second quarter, we offered a vaccination program for all of our employees and also assisted employees and their families in getting access to medical care when necessary.

For our efforts to provide an attractive workplace, we were named Top Employer Europe for the second time in a row.

We continued to focus on our eight strategic priorities: brand heat, product ranges that are right for our consumers, a comprehensive offer for women, the quality of our distribution, the speed and efficiency of our organizational infrastructure, focus on the North American market by re-entering into basketball and focus on local relevance and sustainability.

To drive brand heat, we signed several new partners such as French DJ and record producer DJ Snake. In Teamsport, we signed long-term agreements with the French national team players Raphaël Varane and Kingsley Coman. We also partnered with NHL All-Star Leon Draisaitl, who will become the first NHL ice hockey player to join the company as a brand ambassador for training and fitness. In Basketball, we were joined by the most valuable player in the WNBA Breanna “Stewie” Stewart and PUMA player LaMelo Ball was voted Rookie of the Year in the NBA.

Signing some of the best athletes and teams in the world gives PUMA credibility as a sports brand and makes it stay true to its roots in performance. The success of our athletes and teams also reflects positively on us as a brand and improves our brand heat.

PUMA team Italy won the UEFA Euro 2020, which was held in 2021, and with Giovanni Di Lorenzo, Giorgio Chiellini, Harry Maguire, Kyle Walker and Jordan Pickford we had five players wearing PUMA’s latest football boots in the final. All four PUMA federations (Austria, Czech Republic, Italy and Switzerland) had progressed to the knock-out stages and we had three teams in the quarterfinals - more than any other sports brand.

On a club level, Manchester City won the Premier League for the third time in four years and reached the Champions League final. In Germany, Borussia Dortmund won the DFB Cup and our Brazilian team Palmeiras won the Copa Libertadores. We also signed additional top clubs including Fenerbahce Istanbul in Turkey or Shakhtar Donetsk in Ukraine.

In track and field, PUMA athlete Karsten Warholm made history when he broke the 29-year-old 400m hurdles World Record, wearing PUMA’s new EvoSPEED Future FASTER+ spike, which we developed together with Formula 1 team MERCEDES AMG PETRONAS. Karsten’s success adds to the list of track and field World Records set in PUMA performance footwear: Men 100m, 200m (both Usain Bolt, Jamaica), 1000m (Noah Ngeny, Kenya), 3000m steeple chase (Saif Shaheen, Qatar), triple jump (Jonathan Edwards, GB), pole vault (Armand “Mondo” Duplantis, Sweden) and now 400m hurdles. Our highly innovative performance products and the roster of world-leading athletes make us look forward to this year’s Summer Olympics in Tokyo. We will have 13 PUMA-sponsored federations and more than 200 individual athletes from 35 different countries in track and field as well as many more athletes in other sports competing in Tokyo this summer.

In Golf, PUMA player Bryson DeChambeau won the Arnold Palmer Invitational in March, while in Motorsport, PUMA teams Red Bull Racing Honda and MERCEDES AMG PETRONAS are dominating the season.

To amplify the successes of our athletes and to spread a message of hope, optimism and self-belief, following what many consider to be one of the most challenging years, PUMA launched the ONLY SEE GREAT campaign. As part of this campaign, which is inspired by cultural icon, entrepreneur and philanthropist Shawn “JAY-Z” Carter, PUMA ambassadors such as Neymar Jr. have told their story of how they achieved greatness in a series of media interviews and content on PUMA’s digital channels.

On the product side, we presented a completely new line-up of performance running shoes featuring our cushioning technology NITRO. The DEVIATE, DEVIATE ELITE, VELOCITY, LIBERATE, and ETERNITY offer an effortless run and received very positive reviews from runners and the media alike.

Our PUMA classics continued to resonate well with consumers in line with the retro trend in the market. One of our latest styles for women, the MAYZE also took inspiration from the past and mixed it with modern elements and playful colors. The MAYZE is worn by the global pop star Dua Lipa and selling very well across all key markets.

We reiterated our commitment to creating a leading product offer for women with our SHE MOVES US platform. SHE MOVES US brings together our top female brand ambassadors such as Dua Lipa, Cara Delevingne, Magdalena Eriksson and Jodie Williams to celebrate the women who have moved culture and sports forward and inspire other women around the world. As part of SHE MOVES US, PUMA also teamed up with “Women Win”, an organization which gives women and girls around the world the possibility to compete in sports. In June, PUMA announced that it would have its own team in the W Series, the international motor racing championship for female drivers only.

We took an important step towards strengthening our distribution and logistics network by starting operations at our new logistics center in Geiselwind, Germany. The center is being ramped up gradually and we expect it to be fully operational towards the end of 2021. We also increased the reach of our Direct to Consumer business by launching new PUMA.com stores in the United Arab Emirates and Mexico.

In the first half of 2021, the pandemic impacted different regions differently. This once again affirmed our belief in local relevance and local decision-making, giving local management the tools to react quickly to changes in the market they know best.

PUMA continued to establish itself as a credible brand in Basketball, following its re-entry into the sport in 2018, an important move to stay relevant as a sports brand, especially in the North American market. After last year’s success of the RS-DREAMER Basketball sneaker, designed by J.Cole, PUMA launched the RS-DREAMER 2, a mid-silhouette intended to be worn on and off the court. The Basketball business also launched several successful collaborations this year, from nostalgic cartoon Rugrats to popular video game NBA 2K. The next highlight will be the introduction of the LaMelo Ball signature shoe which is planned for Q4 2021.

This year, PUMA announced further steps to make its products and its supply chain more sustainable, both from an environmental and social point of view. With our 10FOR25 sustainability targets, we ensure that whenever our consumers buy a PUMA product, they are buying a sustainably sourced product. That is why we set ourselves the goal of making nine out of ten PUMA products with more sustainable materials by 2025. We also signed an agreement with not-for-profit environmental organization Canopy and committed to protect forests around the world when sourcing paper, cardboard and viscose. We communicate these efforts to our consumers through our FOREVER BETTER platform.

To further strengthen our organization, we have created the new role of Chief Commercial Officer within the Board of Management, increasing the number of board members from three to four. Arne Freundt took on this new role on June 1 and he oversees Sales, including Retail & E-Commerce, and Logistics. Also, effective June 1, Hubert Hinterseher was named as the new Chief Financial Officer, taking over from Michael Lämmermann who retired after 28 years with the company. Hubert is responsible for Finance, Legal, IT and Business Solutions. 

herzogenaurach, germany, august 09, 2021
PUMA ANNOUNCES BLOCKBUSTER SIGNING OF CHRISTIAN PULISIC
Global sports company PUMA has today announced the major new signing of Chelsea and United States superstar Christian Pulisic to a long-term deal. Partnering with the U.S. captain is a huge move from the big cat and will see PUMA commit to supporting Christian in growing soccer participation in America and inspiring the next generation.

Regarded as one of the most exciting young talents in world football, Christian is the youngest ever USMNT captain and is the first American born winner of the UEFA Champions League™ following his transfer from Dortmund to Chelsea, a move that made him the most valuable U.S. player in history. He has the most goals and assists of any American player in the UCL and is the youngest ever American goalscorer in the tournament.

“Christian’s journey has been incredible and has really paved the way for so many young American players who dream of playing in Europe for the world’s biggest clubs,” said Johan Adamsson, Global Director of Sports Marketing and Sports Licensing at PUMA. “Christian is technically gifted, has lightning speed and quickness of thought to change any game. Not only have we signed an amazing talent, but a fantastic person off the pitch who wants to continue to grow soccer in America, a goal PUMA has committed to support.”

The electrifying winger has trailblazed his path from Pennsylvania to Dortmund to London, breaking numerous records since his Bundesliga debut in 2016. Raised in Hershey, Pennsylvania Christian spent a year in England when he was seven years old, where he further fueled his passion and love for the game after joining Brackley Town’s youth setup. It was there that he set himself the goal of becoming a professional player.

Having achieved so much at such a young age, Christian has been a pioneer of the game in the U.S. and wants to inspire the next generation of young U.S. players. Leading into the 2026 World Cup™, Christian together with PUMA has made a commitment to grow the sport through various programs and opportunities for youth athletes in the U.S., including product donations for underserved youth, establish various camps and clinics, rehabilitating fields and more.

“Anyone who loves soccer, should be able to play,” said Christian Pulisic. “We have a platform in sports and if something is truly meaningful, you can really help to open people’s eyes and make changes. What I love about PUMA is they share my passion and my goal to support youth soccer in America and to help the next generation to chase their dreams.

Christian topped off an amazing season, by scoring the winning goal and captaining the USMNT to the CONCACAF Nations League title with victory over Mexico in the final, which signified a breakout tournament for the young U.S. side. As he continues to build his legacy on and off the pitch, Christian will join PUMA’s Faster Football movement and will be one of the faces of the PUMA ULTRA.

“In many ways it was a no-brainer for me to join PUMA. With its world class and innovative products, PUMA embodies the culture of sports on and off the pitch. Their technical innovations revolve around speed, which is one of my biggest weapons. It’s an honor to follow in the PUMA footsteps of some of the greatest players to have ever played the game, Pele, Maradona, and Johan Cruyff,” said Christian.

 To celebrate the new partnership, PUMA has teamed up with boot customizer Silni to produce a special pair of customized Pulisic ULTRA 1.3’s, that Christian will debut in the Super Cup final on August 11th. 

herzogenaurach, germany, august 13, 2021
PUMA celebrates historical Athlete Moments at the Olympic Games in Tokyo

Sports company PUMA has celebrated incredible moments of its sponsored athletes, many of them writing sports history at the Olympic Games in Tokyo this summer. “These Olympic Games in Tokyo have been an amazing sports event that created many heroes and heroines, both nationally and globally, who delivered world-class performances on the track and pitches,” Bjørn Gulden, CEO of PUMA. “Given all the uncertainty before the Games, I feel the organizers did a terrific job in making these Games happen. We are incredibly proud of our PUMA sponsored medalists, as well as the rest of our athletes, who worked hard and gave everything to perform at their very best.”

Outstanding world-class performances were delivered by PUMA athlete when he clocked in 45.94s over 400m hurdles, breaking his own world record of 46.70s. In a much acclaimed race – labelled the ‘Best Race in Track&Field History – the 25-year-old Norwegian was said to have not broken his own world-record, but destroyed it. Between Edwin Moses’ world record of 47.45s in 1977 and Karsten’s world record of 46.70s from July 2021, the 400m hurdles record had progressed by 75 hundredths of a second. Then, in just one race in Tokyo, Warholm improved the world record by 76 hundredths – a performance unseen in 44 years. In addition, the sacrosanct 47 second mark in the 400m hurdles had only been broken six times before the Tokyo Olympic final. In this one race, three hurdlers ran under 47 seconds, with the silver medalist Rai Benjamin breaking Karsten’s old world record, running 46.17s. At the Rio Olympics in 2016, gold medalist Kerron Clement ran 47.73s and in the 2019 Doha World Championships, Karsten won in 47.42s. With these times, a hurdler would only have taken the sixth place in the final.

26-year-old Canadian sprinter André de Grasse raced to Gold over 200m in 19.62s and claimed Bronze in the 100m race in 9.89 seconds. With a track record of having participated in the 100m and 4x100m in the 2015 World Championships, in the 100m, 200m and 4x100m at the 2016 Olympics, in the 100m and 200m at the 2019 World Championships and in the 100m, 200m and 4x100m at the Tokyo Olympics, André is the World’s most consistent male sprinter. 27-year-old American Molly Seidel became the third American woman to ever win a medal in a marathon at the Olympic Games, when she finished in a time of 2:27:46, having had only run two marathons before competing at the Tokyo Olympics.

For what was the first time in athletics in the last 113 years, PUMA athlete Gianmarco Tamberi and Mutaz Essa Barshim decided to share the gold medal in the men's high jump, a true symbol of sportsmanship.

Pole vaulter Mondo Duplantis claimed his first Olympic title when he cleared 6.02m to win gold, but also attempted 6.19m, one centimetre higher than his previous best of 6.18m, the current world-record.

Jamaica’s Hansle Parchment surprised the world in an incredibly tight 110m hurdles final when he beat the undisputed favourite Grant Holloway, who had not lost a hurdles race since August last year. At the U.S. Olympic trials, Holloway only missed the 110mh world record by one-hundredth of a second, but in Tokyo, Hansle raced past him to win gold in 13.04s – labelled “one of the shocks of the Games”.

With a jump of 17.98m, Portuguese PUMA athlete and Olympic debutant Pedro Pichardo won gold in the triple jump, setting a new national record for Portugal, and winning the first gold medal for his country of any kind since 2008, and only the fifth ever.

The female 100m sprinters of the PUMA-sponsored Jamaica Olympic Association claimed Gold (Elaine Thompson-Herah), Silver (Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce) and Bronze (Shericka Jackson), having occupied 10 of the 12 places on the podiums since the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing.

The above are just a selection of historical performances of PUMA-sponsored athletes, who gathered a total of 22 Gold, 24 Silver, and 20 Bronze medals in Tokyo this summer. PUMA-sponsored Federations scored eleven Gold, 8 Silver and 7 Bronze medals.

For more than 70 years, PUMA has partnered with the most famous and successful athletes. Within PUMA’s brand mission to become the fastest sports brand in the world, the company has continued to focus on creating brand heat and developing product ranges that are right for its athletes and consumers.
 

Elite Performance Products for Elite Athletes


We have continued on our mission to design “stuff that works” and have significantly improved our product offering in our sports performance categories. In order to create PUMA’s fastest, lightest and most propulsive Track & Field spike, we have teamed up with Formula 1 brand Mercedes AMG Petronas F1 to apply engineering insights from Formula 1 and automotive world to create the EVOSPEED TOKYO FUTURE FASTER+ and the EVOSPEED TOKYO FUTURE NITRO FASTER+ for PUMA athletes, including Gold medalists Karsten Warholm and André De Grasse, Canadian 200m sprinter.

“This collaboration was very unique and it has given us the perfect product for us to work on the track - a spike that is really aggressive, with a really good forward propulsion, and it gives me all the tools I need to be the best version of myself,” said Karsten Warholm.

For our Olympic kits – worn by the athletes of 12 Athletic Federations, such as Jamaica, Norway and Sweden – PUMA improved the aerodynamics by optimizing air turbulences behind the sprinters to minimize the air drag that occurs while running at such speed. What usually slows sprinters down are air turbulences behind them caused by the air that is pushed by the athletes’ bodies and flows around them towards their backs. These turbulences will cause an air drag back. By strategically placing little brush knobs at the side of the kits’ sleeves and legs that change the turbulence patterns, PUMA minimized the air drag back.


 

“It is all about the athletes, their physical and mental training and their ability at the key moment to give their best,” added Bjørn Gulden. “At PUMA, we are motivated to help them perform at their very best.”

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