Metro Brands names Ariff Bham AVP and business head for the sports division

Metro Brands has added a specialist to the lane where growth is fastest. Ariff Bham takes charge as AVP and business head for the sports division with a mandate to sharpen brand mix, tighten retail operations and push deeper into performance and athleisure. The timing is right. Sports and lifestyle continue to outpace broader footwear with rising demand across metros and strong adoption in emerging cities.

Bham’s operating toolkit was shaped over nearly twelve years at Reliance Brands, where he moved through business management and operations leadership. That experience matters when scale meets fashion cycles. It teaches assortment discipline, launch cadence, and the store routines that protect conversion on busy weekends. Earlier stints with Diesel and corporate roles across finance and strategy add a useful habit of reading both product and numbers in the same meeting. A global management degree from Hult London rounds out the profile with a view on international playbooks.

What changes first at the division. Expect a tighter portfolio strategy that balances global names with owned and licensed labels to serve price and performance tiers cleanly. Expect store operations to focus on speed and size availability so the right pair is on the shelf when a runner or a student walks in. Expect visual stories to move from generic lifestyle to clear use cases such as daily commute, studio training, turf and trail. Expect e commerce to mirror store depth with faster size replenishment and cleaner product pages that highlight fit, cushioning and durability.

Partnerships will likely become a lever. Sports retail wins when brands and retailers co plan drops, athlete moments and city events. Look for community runs, turf leagues and creator led fit clinics that turn trial into habit. Measurement will need to track more than sales. Watch basket depth, repeat within thirty days, return rates by category and regional mix shift as the product grid sharpens.

The opportunity is significant. Urban consumers are buying multiple pairs for different routines. Younger shoppers want credible performance at accessible prices. Women’s sport is expanding beyond walking and yoga into training and running that demand better footwear. If the division sequences product and storytelling by these needs, share gains will follow.

Risks are practical. Inventory bets can overrun demand if fashion turns. Supply delays can break momentum during festive peaks. The answer is pacing. Shorter buy cycles, closer read on sell through, and weekly sprints between merchandising, marketing and store ops keep the engine responsive without losing discipline.

Bottom line. Metro Brands has placed an operator in a seat that decides how fast it can ride the sports wave. If the next quarter brings smarter assortments, faster shelves and clearer stories, the division will feel more athletic in the way that matters most. It will move.

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