The DuPont business dates back to 1801, when French chemist Eleuthère Irénée du Pont de Nemours started his first gunpowder mill in Wilmington, Delaware. E.I. du Pont de Nemours and Co was incorporated in April of the same year, with an initial capital base of $36 000.

In 1919, German brothers Rudolf and Adolph (“Adi”) Dassler founded a shoe manufacturing company, which pioneered early innovation and design in the nascent sports footwear market. Following a feud between the brothers in 1948, they separated and created two ubiquitous sports brands - Adidas by Adi and Puma by Rudolph. Today, Adidas is the second largest global sportswear brand after Nike. We discuss the global sportswear market and how Adidas is well placed to benefit as one of the leaders.

The building material retailers were one of the few beneficiaries of the COVID pandemic as people spent disproportionally on renovating their homes during the lockdown period and while working from home. This bumper period is over and consumers’ home improvement spend has retracted.