Puma owner 'explored' sportswear firm's sale

London

THE owner of Puma SE has explored a sale of the German sportswear maker as efforts to revive the brand drag into a fifth year, according to people familiar with the matter.

Kering SA, which also owns Gucci, contacted potential buyers earlier this year to gauge interest, said the people, who asked not to be identified because talks are private. Sovereign wealth funds from the Middle East such as Qatar as well as Asian investors were approached, they said.

The discussions have yet to lead to any sort of takeover proposal and it remains unclear whether the Paris-based company will still pursue a sale of the brand, the people said. Representatives for Kering…