Launching PUMA’s first-ever North American flagship store

While growing its market share in recent years, PUMA still has ground to make up on its competitors in the athletic footwear and apparel space. As part of its growth strategy, the company decided to put down roots on the heart of 5th Avenue in New York City. Flanked on every side by other impressive flagships, PUMA needed to tell a compelling story and differentiate itself during a time when many consumers were shifting away from brick and mortar.

To build buzz ahead of the public grand opening, Inkhouse orchestrated an exclusive invite-only press event, where top-tier media participated in 1:1 tours and interviews with PUMA’s global leadership team.

Twenty leading business, retail, fashion and sports reporters attended the media preview. From these interviews and additional proactive media outreach, more than 100 stories published in the first week post-opening, showcasing the market’s enthusiasm for the store’s unique tech integrations, exclusive products and overall design. Of the new store, Business Insider’s Shoshy Ciment, who attended the preview event, wrote: “Though the brand is smaller than Nike and Adidas, PUMA’s interactive experiences and innovative merchandise made it the superior flagship store without a question, perfecting the mix between inspiring and attainable. Larger brands might do well to take note of PUMA’s success.”