STAR APPEAL: SALES LEAP AHEAD AT PUMA

POP stars Selena Gomez and Rihanna helped revenues at sportswear firm Puma soar in 2018.

Sales jumped 12.4pc to £4.1bn last year as younger shoppers snapped up crop-tops, leggings and chunky trainers. Partnerships with celebrities such as Gomez ( pictured) helped Puma grow faster than larger rivals Adidas and Nike.

It is also targeting the basketball market in a tie-up with rapper Jay-Z.

Retro trainers with a chunky sole were a hit, with best-sellers including its RS-X range which sell for up to £118 a pair. It shrugged off concerns of a slowdown in China as sales in Asia jumped by 29pc.

Puma was founded in Germany in 1948 by Rudolf Dassler, whose brother Adi created Adidas.

Its largest shareholder is Kering, which owns fashion labels Gucci, Saint Laurent and Balenciaga.

Bjorn Gulden, chief executive of Puma, said: ‘We are very happy with how our business developed in 2018.

‘We still have a lot to improve, but we feel we are moving our brand and company in a good direction.’