Puma expects currency-adjusted sales to rise by 25 per cent this year, up from a previous target of at least 20 per cent. The German sports company has raised its sales and profit forecasts for the year having overcome supply chain hurdles in Asia to meet strong demand for sneakers and sports apparel in Europe and the Americas.

The delta strain of Covid-19 caused factory shutdowns and labor shortages in Asia. That’s driven shipping rates up and raised concerns about the ability of companies to produce enough computer chips, raw materials and finished consumer goods including sneakers, apparel and automobiles. Vietnam has been a particular bottleneck of concern, having attracted investments in recent years from global companies seeking an alternative to China as a production base, a trend that accelerated with the US-China trade tensions.

These challenges have restricted Puma’s supply of products and limited inventory levels. Despite that, Puma has managed to meet surging demand across the west, with third-quarter sales rising 31 per cent in the Americas and 22 per cent in Europe. Footwear and apparel revenue both increased by about 21 per cent. The company is trying to source more from China to make up for the drop in Vietnam.