60 years of Panam tennis, how has it resisted other brands?

Collaborations and licenses

Every time they have a concert in Mexico, the Auténticos Decadentes wear their Panam sneakers. The company made a collaboration with the Argentine group in 2020, one of the strategies that has allowed them to stay current, and reach new consumers.

Some of the most popular are the ones with Cerveza Victoria and groups like Los Ángeles Azules. There are also the special editions, such as the Day of the Dead or the Mexico City Metro edition, which was so successful that it went from being a commemorative model to being part of the company’s timeless collections, and one of the best sellers. Of the brand.

In addition to the collaborations, the licenses have become a source of inspiration for the brand. Among the most popular is the one from Marvel and another one with Disney is coming next year. The company also listens carefully to the suggestions that its followers make on social networks. From this process of listening Some models like the Pride have come out.

New channels, more markets

Panam wants to strengthen its online store, which was born during the pandemic and already represents 30% of its sales, and enter the live shopping towards the end of the year, and even discusses an incursion into the metaverse.

Panam also closed a distribution alliance with Liverpool to offer some of its models in the chain’s stores and reach customers who may not have used the brand. There are also catalog sales, company stores and sales in shoe stores.

The company will open 50 stores, which will be added to the 220 they currently have, of which 60% are franchises. Today Mexico City, State of Mexico and Puebla are the main markets for the company.

We look for allies who add ideas to the company

Paola Reglin, Director of Marketing for Panama.

The Mexican company also wants to have a greater presence abroad, where it sends 20% of its current production. The plan is to grow in similar markets and open stores in Central America, adding to the units it already has in Paraguay, Guatemala, El Salvador and the United States (San Diego).

“We have received interesting proposals from Brazil and Colombia, which we are already beginning to evaluate, and once we can consolidate a couple of regions on this side, we will be able to take the step to reach Europe, perhaps through commercial partners. The possibilities are open”, he details.

Looking for private investors

After six decades as a family business, the Mexican company recognizes that to achieve its next milestone it will require private investment. “It opens up the possibility of having a strategic partner as an investor,” says Reglin.

The board comments that although the injection of capital is important, they want the new investor to support the development of the company, for example, to reach new retailers, increase the participation of the sports clothing and accessories category, or expand the plant in Cuautitlán Izcalli, State of Mexico.

Panam seeks to increase annual production from 3.2 million pairs of sneakers to five million.

The manufacturing process is partially automated. Some processes are still handmade. For example, the line that the Panam 084 has on the sole, and which highlights the brand’s name, is hand-painted.

Hand in hand with a strategic partner, Panam wants to design and produce more collection pieces but at affordable prices, which has been the essence of the brand for six decades.

“We are doing very well in sales. More and more people are coming to the stores in the states, which reflects that we have solid growth,” says Reglin. “We plan to close the year with 20% sales growth and reinvest half of that amount the following year,” she concludes.