Decathlon Evolves Retail Footprint With Stores Tailored to Single Sports

The world’s biggest sport wants to get (a little) smaller. The fashion and sports equipment giant has launched its first store specializing exclusively in running. The French company’s commitment reveals a renewed strategy of specialization and with an eye on a more professional consumer, but risks jeopardizing the democratic universe of sport that the company has built up. The company’s plans are to gradually develop networks of stores specializing in different sports.

More than a decade ago, Decathlon launched one of the company’s most memorable campaigns. Under the slogan “The greatest sport in the world”, the French giant appealed to “all those sportsmen and women who are athletes, even if they don’t look like it”. It is precisely thanks to the large mass of consumers who, while not professionally involved in sports, also seek access to a range of sports products for everyday use, that Decathlon has built an empire with a turnover of up to €16.2 billion.

Until now, entering a Decathlon store meant accessing a generalist and affordable sports offer in equal parts. With items dedicated to running, mountaineering and a catalog of up to 80 different sports from the company’s own brands, accompanied by a selection of leading external brands in each of the segments.

Decathlon is working to become a multi-specialist giant

“Decathlon is moving from a generalist retail approach to a multi-specialist model, with the aim of offering experiences led by experts and adapted to each priority sports practice,“ company sources have confirmed to Modaes. To do this, however, the French company must first gain the trust of companies specializing in each of the sports it plans to promote individually.

So far, Decathlon has used these brands as a tractor effect for consumers to enter its stores and end up buying its products as well,“ explained industry sources, “so the company’s main challenge now is to gain the trust of the brands so that they want to give it their higher quality products. 

To this end, Decathlon’s first step has been to open a store in Bordeaux, which opened last week and offers a catalog solely specialized in the practice of running. The offer includes both the products of Kiprun, the brand of the French giant exclusive to the sport of running, as well as articles from leading international brands in the sector.

The French company will launch a total of six stores specialized in running by 2025

“The concept reflects our ambition to get closer to urban athletes by offering spaces adapted to specific practices and expectations,“ explains the company. This first store will be joined during the year by five other openings, including a store in Montpellier. The company’s plans also include expanding this specialized store format to other sports.

For the time being, however, the giant has limited this strategy to its local market, and all stores will be located in France. “The objective is to observe, test and adjust before deciding whether this hyper-specialized model can be replicated in other metropolitan areas in France and Europe.

For this specialization strategy to work, Decathlon needs to have the best running shoes, but also, say the same sources, to generate value for the market, which inevitably involves the consumer. To this end, the company is investing heavily in renewing its image, the results of which were first seen in March last year.

Decathlon’s latest major collaboration is to sponsor the boots of footballer Griezmann

During the presentation of its latest four-year strategic plan, Decathlon unveiled the company’s new logo and initiated the renovation of its retail park, with a new image and store model, the first, located in Paris. In parallel, the company also initiated a reorganization of its brand portfolio, to simplify it to a scheme of nine specialist brands (water and sailing, cycling or nature, among others) and four expert brands.

“From making the product to having the credibility is a long way,“ recalls the industry expert. Decathlon has already made several investments to improve its image among consumers. Decathlon’s big bet took shape last year, as one of the official sponsors of the Paris 2024 Olympic Games, the world’s biggest sporting event. Previously, the company had also collaborated with the Italian company Santini and the International Cycling Union to create a specialized collection.

Earlier this year, the company sealed one of its most relevant collaborations to date. Decathlon, through Kipsta, became the official sponsor of Antoine Griezmann’s soccer boots, signaling to the world that its products are capable of competing in quality with those of the traditional giants.