Reebok's U.S. market share lags, but India is a success
CANTON, Mass. — Reebok India, a subsidiary of
Canton, Mass.-based Reebok International Ltd., seems to have an uncanny
knack for reaching the emerging consumer class in India.
The company has had great success in tapping into a growing number of
upwardly mobile and sports- and fitness-oriented populations through a
spate of new products and stores — and the continued use of technology
to reach its consumers, according to Managing Director of Reebok India
Subhinder Singh Prem.
Reebok India's footwear and athletic apparel market share was 54 percent
as 2009 came to a close, up from 51 percent the year before. That's a
far cry from Reebok's United States numbers. The company was the first
to introduce women's athletic shoes in 1982 and once enjoyed a dominant
share of that market. The company had just a 2 percent share of the
women's footwear market in 2009, down from an almost 9 percent share
just two years ago. Reebok was purchased by German sportswear giant
Adidas in 2006 as the companies sought to catch U.S. market leader Nike.
(Click on headline for complete article)