In a country where colour stands out, PUMA has decided to go entirely green. After setting a goal to significantly reduce emissions by 2010, the iconic brand has taken the next step in reshaping the way retailers do business, and this time, they’re taking on India.
PUMA HQ adopts renewable electricity
The company opened a sustainable headquarters in Herzogenaurach (Germany) in 2009, using electricity provided by the German company LichtBlick which specializes in green power. The shift was designed to save PUMA over 4200 tons of carbon emissions every year (see PUMA website for press release). PUMA subsequently commissioned LichtBlick to provide green electricity to the logistics center in Schluesselfeld as well as three other stores in Germany.
The move to Bangalore
After having experimented with green retailing throughout Germany, the company has now decided to open the gates and implement sustainable building practices in other areas of the world. For now, this means India, but PUMA isn’t looking to stop there. According to Rajiv Mehta, Managing Director at PUMA, the company will use the success of the Bangalore store to gauge whether or not to move forth into new markets with this type of initiative: “this is PUMA’s first such store in the world. We are starting the project with India and depending on its success, will replicate it in other countries”.
The new building in Bangalore has been both locally developed and source, saving on energy costs and supporting local businesses. Equipped with what is referred to as “revolutionary and innovative design elements” which, as shared by Fibre2Fashion include using recycled steel to construct the building, making use of natural sunlight (90% of the store has access to natural light, reducing the need for artificial lighting), using recessed flooring and an air tunnel to promote natural cooling (no air-con here), and using 100% solar power throughout the store. In addition to changing the construction of the building itself, changes will also be visible via new ecofriendly products hitting the shelves (like clothing made of organic materials) as well as the use of shoe carton-carry bags to save on waste.
The reaction so far has been extremely positive, and the product? Well, it’s as popular as ever, with check-ins from customers like Servesh via foursquare who claim that the PUMA store in Bangalore “always has the coolest merchandise.”
5, 4, 3, 2, 1… launch!
Having recently opened in Bangalore, the launch of the new store was, according to GQ India, well-suited and themed to reflect the “unusual” nature of a sustainable store in India. In an effort to drive home the message, PUMA’s launch was carbon-neutral.
How, you ask, did they generate power? The company generated all power on-site using solar panels and customers wanting (and willing) to peddle on cycles placed outside the store. Some call it exploitation; we call it a drive to a new standard of retailing, supported by customers and great PR.
Curious what the store looks like? Check out a video of the launch here and visit PUMA’s website for the latest news and green developments!
Have you been to the new PUMA store? Let us know what you think in the comments section below.
Image credit: rr-fotoreporter
