Chinese group ultimately takes control of PUMA
Through the payment of US$ 1.8 billion for 29% of the German company’s capital, the Chinese multinational sports equipment corporation ANTA Sports assumed control of the brand by becoming its largest shareholder.
ANTA Sports Products Limited is a Chinese multinational sports equipment corporation headquartered in Jinjiang, China. It is the world’s third-largest sportswear company by revenue, behind NIKE and ADIDAS.
The transaction was completed with Groupe Artémis, part of the holding owned by the French Pinault family, and represents a new step in the international offensive of Chinese groups targeting historic global consumer brands.
For the time being, the agreement does not involve a public takeover bid. Both companies made it clear that PUMA will retain its operational autonomy, its management team and the brand identity that has defined it for decades. The shared strategic objective is ambitious: to place PUMA among the three most important sports brands in the world.
The international brand operates a network of own stores, a local e-commerce platform, and one of the few manufacturing plants it owns, located in the province of La Rioja. Over the past year, the plant recorded production close to one million pairs. It is currently undergoing a transition period marked by instability in Argentina’s industrial sector and structural changes at a global level.
The workforce has been adjusted through reduced working hours, and the company competes in an environment where other brands -such as Adidas and Nike- have drastically reduced their industrial presence in the country due to operating costs and trade liberalization.
According to the most recent official statements, PUMA will maintain its operational autonomy in Argentina. So far, no closures or drastic changes have been announced at the La Rioja plant as a result of the sale of the brand. The message conveyed is one of continuity and the search for new technological synergies.
It will continue operating under a framework of extreme caution, prioritizing the preservation of current employment in the face of a domestic consumer market that has yet to recover to levels seen in previous years.
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