The sportswear giant Puma is moving ahead with a significant restructuring plan that will cost around 900 employees their jobs worldwide. The cuts come only months after a previous downsizing wave and mark one of the toughest steps taken by the company’s new CEO, Arthur Hoeld, who joined in July after a long career at Adidas.
Hoeld has set an ambitious goal: to restore Puma to the global top tier of sports brands. Achieving that, he says, means sharper priorities and more focused investments.
Where roles will be cut
The company confirmed that the reductions will affect administrative functions across its global operations. Puma employs roughly 7,000 people in administration worldwide, but has not disclosed which specific locations will be impacted this time.
Earlier this year, the brand already announced around 500 job losses, including 170 positions at its headquarters in Herzogenaurach in Bavaria. The latest decision signals that deeper structural changes are underway.
Puma shifts away from the discount market
A key objective of the overhaul is to withdraw from the low-price retail segment, especially in North America, where a large portion of its products has long been sold through mass retailers — chain stores focused on big volumes and aggressive price competition.
Management argues this distribution model diluted brand control and perception, making it harder to communicate Puma’s performance identity. A move toward more selective retail partners is intended to strengthen the brand’s image and pricing power.
A slimmer product range and sharper sports focus
As part of the transformation, Puma plans to reduce the size of its product portfolio. Future development will concentrate on categories where the company has historically been strong and profitable:
- Football
- Running
- Training
While its “Sportstyle” fashion-oriented products remain popular, Puma wants to emphasize performance attributes across the entire lineup, reinforcing the message that the brand is firmly rooted in sport.
Long path to growth as revenues decline
Puma describes the current phase as a multi-year reset.
- 2025: “Year of reset”
- 2026: Transition period
- 2027: First expectations of renewed growth
Financially, the company is under pressure. In the first nine months of the year, revenue stood at €5.97 billion on a currency-adjusted basis — down 4.3% from the previous year.
Despite the short-term pain, leadership insists the restructure will set the brand up for sustainable long-term success.
