Puma Layoffs: German Sportwear Brand To Lay Off up to 500 Employees Globally Amid Declining Demand and Poor Performance, Competition From Other Players

Herzogenaurach, March 13: Puma, a globally renowned German athletic footwear and apparel brand, will reportedly cut hundreds of jobs as a part of its cost-reduction programme. The Puma layoffs are expected to affect 500 jobs worldwide amid disappointing forecasts of the company's first-quarter 2025 results. The Germany-based sportswear brand witnessed weak demand in countries like the United States and China during the period.

Puma reportedly suffered from poor quarterly sales and annual profits, making it difficult to compete against brands such as Adidas and Nike. Besides, the brand faces new emerging competitors such as Hoka and On Running. Taking the call on the company's situation, Puma CFO Arne Freundt confirmed that the sportswear brand would lay off 150 employees. JioStar Layoffs: India’s Largest Media Conglomerate To Lay Off 1,100 Employees After Merger, Multiple Departments To Be Affected, Says Report.

The latest round of Puma layoffs will affect those who work at the company's headquarters. However, reports suggested the number could be as high as 500 people. During a press conference, Freundt shared the company's workforce reduction plan with journalists. Puma has around 21,000 people working for it, and 500 out of the total workforce is a small number, but it still shows the company's struggle in the global sportswear market. 

Arne Freundt said that the job cuts would affect a low single-digit percentage of the business. The latest round of Puma layoffs is part of the company's cost-cutting programme, which was aimed at improving the EBIT (earning before interest and tax) margin to 8.5% by 2027. The company recorded a 7.1% EBIT margin in 2024. Tech Layoffs: 22,692 Employees Laid Off by 81 Companies So Far in 2025, Job Cuts Surge Globally Amid Various Reasons.

This year, tech layoffs have affected thousands of employees from leading companies in the sector. The news and media layoffs also affected people, along with the retail industry, which laid off employees for the same cost-cutting measures. Now, sportswear giant Puma is facing the same issue to increase its profit and reduce costs amid the declining demand and competition in the market.