Decathlon Expands Latin American Footprint with Entry into El Salvador

Decathlon expands it footprint in Latin America. The French fashion and sports equipment giant has launched its first store in El Salvador, two months after its return to Argentina. The company is already present in Mexico, Colombia, Chile, Brazil, Panama and Costa Rica.

According to local media, the new store, with an area of 32,000 square feet, is located in the Multiplaza shopping center in San Salvador. The company highlights its strategic position on the Pacific coast, “ideal for surfing” and its “growing passion for outdoor sports”.

Decathlon disembarks in the country months after its return to Argentina, a country in which it had not operated since 2001. There, the company plans to open some twenty stores. In addition, the group continues to study its expansion into other Argentinian cities such as Mar del Plata, Salta, Mendoza and Rosario.

While the company continues to expand in Latin America, it is increasingly distancing itself from China, in the midst of a trade war with the United States. The French group has taken the first steps in the process of selling 30% of its business in the Asian giant.

According to the latest data published, Decathlon closed the 2024 fiscal year with an increase in sales, but a drop in net income. Turnover stood at €16.2 billion, a growth of 3.8% compared to a year ago. Profit, however, stood at €787 million, down 15.4% compared to 2023, when the company earned €923 million.

As of March this year, the company had a presence in 79 countries and a store base of 1,817 outlets. After ceasing operations in Russia, the company raised its bet on markets such as India, where it plans to invest 100 million euros over the next five years, or Germany, where it will invest the same amount until 2027.