This week, Puma revealed its plans to cut an additional 900 corporate jobs globally by 2026, news that came shortly after similar moves by Target and Amazon. The downsizing is part of a larger scheme announced earlier this year by CEO Arthur Hoeld to establish Puma as one of the top-three sports brands in the world. “At the end of July, we stated that 2025 would be a year of reset,” Hoeld said. “Since then, we have taken important steps to clean up Puma’s distribution, imp
n, improve our cash management and reset our operational expenses.”
“I strongly believe the Puma brand has incredible potential with more than 77 years of history, one of the best product archives in the industry and huge credibility in many major sports.”
The sports giant, which currently has about 7,000 corporate employees, had already cut 500 roles earlier this year. In the third quarter of 2025, the brand took several immediate measures to reduce excess fat, including reducing undesired wholesale businesses, excess inventory at retail partners, and fewer promotions within the direct-to-consumer (DTC) channel.
Despite Hoeld’s faith in Puma’s legacy, recent Q3 results show significant challenges ahead, with sales decreasing 10.4 per cent to €1.9 billion ($2.2 billion).
Experts weigh in on Puma’s ability to make a comeback.
As Global Data’s managing director, Neil Saunders, told Inside Retail, “Puma has not controlled their brand well and instead has been chasing growth in a scattergun way. The result is a tarnished brand that fails to resonate with consumers, particularly in a market where overall demand is softer.
“Injecting fashionability back into the company will be critical to rebuilding the brand to its former high rung on the US footwear retail ladder.”
Saunders added that one step the brand will take to achieve this goal is pulling back from the discount channel. Puma will also focus on building a stronger presence at key retailers, such as Dick’s Sporting Goods.
“Unless Puma does this, it will struggle to register on the consumer radar.”
Similarly, CI&T’s global director of retail strategy, Melissa Minkow, agreed that Puma’s turnaround expectations will not be achievable unless it amplifies its digital operations or revives its product assortment.
She explained that since Puma last reigned supreme, there have been more dominant leaders in this category, such as Adidas, Hoka, and On.
“To keep up with how consumers are shopping, Puma needs to think about how to be more creative with its app and website, and establish a plan for agentic AI, which will play into this turnaround,” she said.
“Adidas has been winning because of how resonant its assortment has been. That should be a massive part of Puma’s efforts as well.”
Puma’s 2026 product strategy
In accordance with Minkow’s warning, Puma, in its Q3 report, announced plans to focus on several core sectors, including football, running, training, and sportswear, regarding product curation.
One specific sporting segment that Puma will focus on in 2026 is Hyrox – an indoor fitness competition that combines running and workout stations – which is expected to attract an estimated 550,000 participants by the end of 2025. Puma has announced plans to release a shoe designed especially for Hyrox early next year.
Additionally, the brand continues to tap the power of celebrity. This includes partnerships with rapper A$AP Rocky and Rosé of K-pop group Blackpink. Puma also focuses on fashion collaborations, like a recent collection with Los Angeles apparel brand Madhapp. These efforts aim to capture the attention of their trend-savvy younger millennial and Gen Z audience.
Further reading: Puma appoints former Adidas exec Arthur Hoeld as new CEO
