MAM
Major rise in spending of consumer durables category: CAM report
MUMBAI: Integrated entertainment and retail marketing company Interactive Television, in collaboration with IPSOS-MEDIA CT, released its CAM report for December 2014. The detailed trends and tracker are for the movie PK.
The highlights are as follows:
With 415, there were a high number of brands active on cinema in the last 17 rounds of CAM. This is also the first time that CAM has observed a high number of national brands being present on cinema. A total of 106 new brands tested cinema as an advertising medium for the first time with the movie PK during the month of December 2014. There has been a 54 per cent increase in number of brands active on cinema with the movie PK in December as compared to the CAM round held in November. There has been a major increase in spending of consumer durables category from 32 per cent in November to 85 per cent in December.
A maximum number of 7402 spots played with PK which was Bollywood’s highest grossing film of all time. In the automobile category it increased from18 per cent in November to 71 per cent in December 2014. Finally for the travel accessories category, spending increased from 4 per cent in November to 68 per cent in December 2014.
Choc On has been number one brand on cinema for the last one year. Manyavar garments increased its spending and surpassed Choc on to become number one brand during the December CAM Round. Interestingly the second spot among the top brands is equally distributed among four brands namely; Chocon, High Sierra, Kotak Mahindra Bank and Syska LED Lights at par with 59 per cent.
Olx has a 19 per cent higher brand recall than Choc on with 13 per cent in spite of screen presence of Choc On with 118 screens being more than Olx, which had 86 screens. It was also noticed that the majority of top spenders play 30 seconds ad on cinema. Food and beverage continues to be the top category on cinema in the last one year and has emerged as a biggest spender on this medium.
Brands
PUMA Q1 profit jumps 19.6 per cent to €51.9m despite 6.3 per cent sales decline
Inventory clean-up and cost controls lift earnings as brand navigates transition year
HERZOGENAURACH: PUMA has kicked off 2026 on a steady note, reporting improved profitability in the first quarter even as sales slipped, signalling early progress in what it calls a transition year.
The German sportswear major posted sales of €1,863.8 million in Q1 2026, down 6.3 per cent on a reported basis. On a currency-adjusted basis, the decline was milder at 1.0 per cent, helped by ongoing inventory clearance efforts.
Profitability, however, told a more upbeat story. Gross profit margin rose 60 basis points to 47.7 per cent, driven by the reversal of inventory reserves, lower freight costs and a favourable channel mix. EBIT climbed 19.6 per cent to €51.9 million, despite €-12.6 million in one-time costs linked to a cost efficiency programme. Adjusted EBIT stood at €64.4 million, up from €61.3 million a year earlier.
Net profit from continuing operations surged to €26.5 million, a sharp jump from €1.1 million in Q1 2025, with earnings per share improving to €0.18. The financial result also improved significantly to €-15.6 million from €-38.5 million, aided by currency tailwinds.
Speaking on the performance, PUMA chief executive officer Arthur Hoeld said, “In the first quarter our athletes won 21 medals at the World Athletics Indoor Championships and set national records at the Berlin Half Marathon. Operationally, we were off to a solid start to our transition year in 2026. We have managed to reduce our inventory levels faster than planned, streamlined our product portfolio and addressed operational inefficiencies.”
Inventory reduction remained a central theme. Inventories fell 8.6 per cent to €1,898.0 million, while working capital dropped 9.7 per cent to €1,879.2 million. Trade receivables declined 20.3 per cent and trade payables were down 26.2 per cent, reflecting lower sales and purchasing volumes.
Regionally, performance was mixed. EMEA sales fell 10.4 per cent on a currency-adjusted basis to €774.5 million, impacted by weak demand and geopolitical tensions in the Middle East. The Americas grew 6.1 per cent (currency-adjusted) to €655.6 million, led by a strong 10.5 per cent rise in Latin America, though reported growth was hit by currency fluctuations. Asia Pacific emerged as a bright spot, growing 7.9 per cent to €433.8 million, supported by strong demand in Greater China and Southeast Asia.
By channel, wholesale revenue declined 2.8 per cent (currency-adjusted), while direct-to-consumer sales rose 3.8 per cent to €528.1 million. The DTC share increased to 28.3 per cent from 27.5 per cent last year, reflecting a sharper focus on owned retail and digital channels.
Product-wise, footwear sales dipped 2.3 per cent (currency-adjusted) to €1,089.6 million, though running and training categories showed strong growth. Apparel inched up 0.9 per cent to €546.3 million, aided by football and golf, while accessories remained broadly stable at €227.9 million.
Free cash flow, though still negative at €-201.4 million due to seasonality, improved significantly from €-737.6 million a year ago. Net debt rose to €1,357.6 million, but the company maintained financial flexibility with €1,104.7 million in cash and available credit lines.
Looking ahead, PUMA reaffirmed its full-year outlook. It expects currency-adjusted sales to decline in the low to mid single-digit range, with EBIT projected between €-50 million and €-150 million. Capital expenditure for 2026 is pegged at around €200 million, focused on digital infrastructure and DTC expansion.
PUMA chief executive officer Arthur Hoeld added, “For the remainder of the year, we will continue to focus on improving the quality of our distribution, cost base and cash management. In doing so, we are laying the foundations for future growth.”
With inventory clean-up ahead of schedule and operational efficiencies beginning to show, PUMA appears to be tightening its laces for a stronger run, even as macroeconomic and geopolitical uncertainties continue to test the track ahead.
