PUMA Sports Philippines is planning to open nine additional mono-brand stores before the end of the year, a move that will bring its nationwide network to 53 outlets as the company continues to expand through a combination of company-owned and partner-operated locations.

"We are at 44 now. Nine to go," PUMA Sports Philippines Country Manager Paolo Misa told BusinessWorld in a Viber message.

Of the nine new stores, three will be company-owned: a full-price store at Trinoma and two factory outlets located in Clark and Turbina. The remaining six will be operated by partners, Mr. Misa said. The mix of company-owned and dealer-operated stores is a common expansion model among international sportswear brands in Southeast Asia, allowing global labels to grow their retail footprint in the region while limiting direct capital exposure.

He added that the Trinoma branch will become PUMA Philippines' largest full-price store in the country, spanning 400 square meters (sq.m.).

As it grows its network, the company has shifted toward smaller store formats rather than waiting for larger retail spaces to become available.

"Do you want to wait for the perfect 500-600-sq.m. store? Or do you want to increase footprint and visibility and access to your consumers?" Mr. Misa earlier told BusinessWorld. "So, we chose the latter."

PUMA Philippines initially pursued larger stores when it entered the Philippine market around 2021 to 2022, but later moved to smaller formats as competition for retail space intensified.

"What we did realize, and again, because the market is so competitive, you know, when you count all the major players for sports and lifestyle, right? And it was a tough category to get into, especially now," he said. The Philippine sportswear and athleisure market is contested by global players including Nike, Adidas, and Under Armour, as well as homegrown brands, intensifying the fight for prime mall space.

Metro Manila remains the company's biggest market both in store count and in business, Mr. Misa noted.

"Metro Manila will always be the big chunk," he said.

Outside Luzon, PUMA Philippines is prioritizing Davao and Iloilo for expansion over the next three years, he said, reflecting a broader retail trend of brands pushing into regional urban centers beyond the capital as mall development spreads to the Visayas and Mindanao. In addition to its mono-brand stores, the company also sells through multi-brand retail partners.

Mr. Misa said recent shifts in consumer spending, along with weather-related disruptions, have affected the company's business. Brick-and-mortar channels, comprising both mono-brand and multi-brand stores, account for roughly 60% of PUMA Philippines' retail sales, he added, underscoring that physical stores remain the backbone of the business even as e-commerce grows in the region.

— Alexandria Grace C. Magno