Global sports brand, Puma, shifting its UK HQ from London to Manchester
Global sportswear brand, Puma will open its new UK HQ in Manchester, having agreed a 20,000 sq ft lease at the city’s Circle Square development.
Located on the Oxford Road Corridor – known as the city’s knowledge quarter – Puma’s new HQ is in the £87m development being brought forward by Bruntwood SciTech, the joint venture between Bruntwood, L&G (Legal & General) and Greater Manchester Pension Fund.
No.3 Circle Square forms the latest phase of the neighbourhood’s masterplan and offers 267,000 sq ft and 15 floors of new workspace focused on innovation businesses. The building is finalising construction and will open this summer.
With an existing small presence in Manchester, the move sees Puma relocate its UK HQ from London to Manchester and will be home to the company’s sales, marketing, merchandising, finance, people and operations and direct to consumer departments.
It follows the announcement of its first ever highly anticipated European flagship store which will open on Oxford Street, London, this autumn.
CGI of No.3 Circle Square
Its base at No.3 Circle Square will enable the brand to work side-by-side with existing forward thinking and disruptive businesses and institutions already located at the Circle Square campus and in the wider Manchester knowledge quarter.
The location will also put it on the doorstep of the city’s world-leading academic institutions, with access to top STEM and creative talent in the city. This includes furthering the brand’s existing link with Manchester Metropolitan University (MMU) where it sits on an advisory board for its Manchester Fashion Institute.
Lucynda Davies, UK managing director, Puma, said: “The move to Circle Square and state-of-the-art facilities on offer forms a key part of our strategy for providing Puma’s employees with a first class working environment with top facilities and amenities. All whilst being at the centre of a community which offers leading technology, fashion, AI and innovation.
“Being based at Circle Square will also open up a host of opportunities to tap into the city’s creative talent pool and strengthen our existing links with academic partners like Manchester Metropolitan University – of which we get the added benefit of Bruntwood SciTech being a partner.”
She added: “We’ve already experienced many of the gains that a thriving city like Manchester affords, and in December 2024, we teamed up with Manchester City Football Club to launch an innovative AI platform for fans to flex their design skills for the club’s official third kit. Now, through our new UK HQ, we look forward to further integrating ourselves in the city’s innovative community.”
Josh Whiteley, commercial director, Bruntwood SciTech, said: “Puma joining Circle Square underlines our ambition to build a thriving community of technology, digital and creative leaders and promote knowledge-sharing and innovation.”
Cllr Bev Craig
Cllr Bev Craig, leader of Manchester City Council, said: “When a major global brand chooses to have its UK headquarters in Manchester it is a significant announcement for our city which illustrates our international impact.
“Manchester is a city of innovation and a city of style and we’re pleased that Puma have decided our existing ecosystem – the talent pool available and links with like-minded businesses and institutions – make it the perfect fit for them.”
The development of No.3 Circle Square follows the successful completion of the fully-let No.1 and No.2 Circle Square and forms part of an ongoing £243m investment across seven assets currently being built or undergoing refurbishment in Manchester city centre by Bruntwood SciTech, including Pall Mall, King’s House, 117-119 Portland Street, and Greenheys at Manchester Science Park, as well as Citylabs 4.0, which officially opened its doors in March.
Puma will join Auto Trader as the latest letting at No. 3 Circle Square as well as those already based at Circle Square, including Avalere Health, Hewlett Packard Enterprise and Roku, alongside growing disruptors and enablers based within the Manchester Tech Incubator such as BlueSkeye AI and Manchester Digital.
