Top sportswear brands leverage the rising demand of PPEs to churn new business opportunities

In its bid to help people stay safe against coronavirus, Adidas has recently announced the launch of their new face masks across Europe, North America, and China earlier in May, the starting price of which is almost £13 for a pack of three. Adidas said that it will be donating £2 from every pack to ‘Save the Children’s Global Coronavirus Response Fund’.

With the successful launch of the face masks in the west, the Indian arm of the German sportswear brand has launched the two-layered face covers in India as well. The face masks, available at an introductory price of Rs 699 for three packs, come in two variants – Adidas performance and Adidas Originals Blue. Both of them are made of breathable recycled fabric free of virgin plastic, which is washable as well. “As lockdown restrictions continue to ease, people need increased protection while venturing out. The product is designed to help prevent the spread of viruses and germs through droplet transmission,” said Manish Sapra, senior marketing director, Adidas India. Even though these face covers are not medically graded, they serve as an ideal alternative, considering the shortage of medical-grade masks in the market with the increasing demand. The face covers will be available across 75 cities and can be purchased from Adidas’ official e-commerce platform.

In addition to Adidas, other sportswear and non-sportswear brands alike have started manufacturing coronavirus preventive items too. Brands like Allen Solly, FabIndia, and Peter England have launched stylish printed masks as wearing facemasks has become the new normal amid covid-19. Wildcraft, the Bengaluru-based sports-gear manufacturing company has also forayed into the production of personal protective equipment (PPE) including hazmat suits, respirators, and face shields.