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Daily Newsletter

07 August 2023

Daily Newsletter

07 August 2023

Pentland Brands unveils plan to invest in skills, innovation

Pentland Brands, a conglomerate owning a diverse array of sports, outdoor, and lifestyle brands, has unveiled a series of forward-looking strategies aimed at solidifying its global presence and adapting to the digital landscape.

Isatou Ndure August 04 2023

Central to Pentland Brands' vision is the establishment of an innovative central London Hub, strategically situated in Farringdon.

Chirag Patel, CEO of Pentland Brands, shared his vision for the future: "With our new hub in the heart of London, we will create a collaborative space with a strong culture and community. A creative place where our teams and our brands can thrive, grow and deliver on our purpose to pioneer brands that make life better."

As the parent company of labels such as Speedo, Berghaus, Canterbury, Endura, Ellesse, and Mitre, Pentland Brands remains committed to empowering consumers to lead healthier, active, and eco-conscious lives.

The comprehensive plan also includes individualised approaches for some of Pentland Brands' flagship entities. Speedo, for instance, will witness the establishment of a global product engine in the US while retaining brand leadership and marketing operations in the UK.

Similarly, Canterbury's global business will be rooted in its authentic home of New Zealand, while teamwear and licensed properties will be overseen from the UK.

To execute these transformative initiatives, Pentland Brands is streamlining its operations, anticipating a workforce reduction of approximately 90 employees, to allow increased focus on product development, digital capabilities, and consumer data analysis.

By fostering a cohesive global business model with targeted skill distribution and an agile organisational structure, the company aims to propel further growth. Key investments in cutting-edge global product innovation capabilities will empower all brands with the expertise necessary for pioneering new and innovative products.

Patel added: "We’re a growing business with 2023 revenue and profit expected to exceed pre-pandemic highs. Our plans will accelerate this growth and position us at the forefront of digital innovation and consumer engagement, at a moment in time when our brands are more important than ever in helping people to live more active and healthy lives.”

The business changes are expected to be in place by the end of Q3 2023, with the new central London Hub opening in early 2024.

Back in July, Pentland Brands partnered with mission-led start-up The People to form a new youth advisory board and give a voice to its younger employees.

Value apparel has gained appeal amid high inflation

Per latest GlobalData estimates, the global value apparel market was valued at $228.8bn in 2022, exceeding pre-pandemic levels and outperforming the other apparel price positions. This was partly due to consumers trading down to more affordable brands as they faced inflationary pressures, but also due to the rapid rise of fast fashion player Shein, which has leapt into the market leading position. Between 2022 and 2027, the global value apparel market is forecast to achieve a CAGR of 3.2%. Gen Z is a key target audience for value apparel players, due to their usually limited disposable incomes and high purchasing frequencies as a result of wanting to follow rapidly changing trends meaning they often prefer cheaper brands. As fashion is of high importance to this demographic, they are also less likely to cut back on spending on clothing and footwear amid inflationary pressures. However, value players are under pressure to reduce their environmental footprints amid changing consumer perceptions and evolving regulations regarding sustainable business practices. Supply chain disruptions and higher production costs continued to impact value brands in 2022 due in part to the outbreak of the war in Ukraine and lasting COVID-19 restrictions in China, which is highly detrimental to value players due to their already thin profit margins and their low price business models.

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