Yet sports performance-wear makes up only about 20 per cent of the global business of the German sports brand. The vast majority, says Puma's international retail manager Kristopher Jürgensen, is 'sports lifestyle' - sports-inspired footwear, clothing and accessories.

"Sports lifestyle is where our stores are focused. We leave sports performance-wear distribution to our wholesale accounts such as JJB and JD Sports." But Puma doesn't see itself as a retailer. Rather, it sees itself as a brand doing retail, says Jürgensen. Only about 15-20 per cent of Puma's global sales come from retail. The rest is wholesale.

So why do they retail? "We do it to position ourselves as a sports lifestyle brand rather than as a sports performance brand. And it's easier to communicate that in our own stores." Also, retail sales are currently growing faster than wholesale, says Jürgensen.

Speaking at BCSC's shopping centre management conference in Manchester in March, Jürgensen outlined Puma's retail expansion plans for the UK. The brand has three kinds of store formats, he says. There are the Black Label, top-of-the-range fashion stores selling a range designed by Alexander McQueen. Then there are the concept stores, from where the vast majority of its retail sales come. And finally, Puma has some factory outlet stores.

"We currently have two Black Label stores worldwide. But there's potential for 10 in Europe - two in the UK, and one for sure in London," says Jürgensen. This could be around Covent Garden or off Bond Street or Conduit Street, says James Andrews of Puma's UK property agent Kitchen La Frenais Morgan (KLM).

But the concept stores represent the vast majority of Puma's retail outlets. It has 10 in the UK, open or about to open, and according to Andrews a deal for the White City development in London is currently in solicitors' hands.

"We're looking for 250-500 sq m total area, with about 70 per cent for sales and 30 per cent for stock," says Jürgensen. "In the past we only focused on high streets. But now we've shifted our focus more towards shopping centres because we usually find a better sales-to-rent ratio in malls than in high streets."

Puma is targeting the whole of the country at once, starting with the top 10 cities and the top 10 malls, says Jürgensen. "Once we've seen what works well, we could go into the secondary cities and malls."

KLM has been involved with Puma since 2003 when it only had the Carnaby Street store. "Puma has a very interesting requirement which can be difficult to satisfy," says Andrews at KLM. "What interests them is the surrounding tenant mix. Ideally they want to be alongside people of an aspirational nature, such as Apple, Tommy Hilfiger, Gant and Diesel. And that's quite difficult to find in certain towns because not only do they need that retail adjacency, they also want footfall."

Jürgensen says that's why he often finds it easier to go into new malls. By signing up a couple of years before the opening, the centre's leasing team has the opportunity to zone the centre in the right way for Puma, he says.

But when the right adjacency mix doesn't exist, Puma tends to err towards footfall, says Andrews. "They have to make money. It's no good being just an iconic shop for the promotion of the brand. It has to do that and return a profit."

It may seem an unusual expansion strategy but Jürgensen is absolutely convinced that it's the right way forward. "We are really determined to continue our expansion in 2009 and 2010. So if you have some 350 sq m stores for about £40,000 annual rent, please don't hesitate to get in touch with me."

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