Decathlon History 6j6t5j

DECATHLON (SPORTS FOR ALL / ALL FOR SPORTS) Decathlon is one of the world's largest sporting goods retailers. Decathlon started with a store in Lille, in 1976, founded by Michel Leclercq. It started to expand abroad a decade later, to in 1986, Spain in 1992, Italy in 1998, Portugal, the United Kingdom in 1999, China in 2003, India in 2009, Malaysia in 2016 and Southeast Asia in 2012. Today, there are more than 1100 stores[2] in 38 countries. The company employs more than 78,000 staff[3]from 80 different nationalities. The retailer stocks a wide range of sporting goods, from tennis rackets to advanced scuba diving equipment, usually in large superstores which are sized at an average of 4,000m².[4] Decathlon Group also owns over 20 brands,[1] with research and development facilities all over to develop the latest innovative designs, ing up to 40 patents per year.[5] Each brand represents a different sport or group of sports, with a dedicated product development and design team.

Locations[edit] 1000+ stores are located globally, in the following countries:[6]         

Belgium: 26 stores Brazil: 21 stores Bulgaria: 4 stores Czech Republic: 11 stores China: 169 stores Croatia: 5 stores : 303 stores : 33 stores Hungary: 18 stores

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India: 47 stores Italy: 108 stores Kuwait: 1 store Malaysia: 1 store Netherlands: 10 stores Philippines: 1 store Poland: 45 stores Portugal: 28 stores Romania: 17 stores Russia: 41 stores Slovenia: 1 store South Africa: 1 store Slovakia: 4 stores Spain: 144 stores Singapore: 3 stores Sweden: 2 stores Turkey: 19 stores Taiwan: 9 stores United Kingdom: 25 stores United States: (closed 2006) Lebanon: 1 store United Arab Emirates: 2 stores Morocco: 4 stores Thailand: 9 stores Mexico: 2 stores Colombia: 1 store Serbia: 1 store Tunisia: 1 store Australia: Opening soon. Ghana: Opening soon. Israel: Opening soon. Ukraine: Opening soon.

Online delivery has been introduced in Belgium, , Netherlands, United Kingdom, , Turkey, India, Japan, Italy,[7] Singapore, Spain, Brazil, Portugal, Romania, Ireland, Mexico, Australia, and recently, Vietnam. In India, Decathlon products can be bought directly through their stores subsequent to change in India's FDI policy and approval for Decathlon in February 2013.[8] In addition to this, Decathlon products are also available online through their online resellers. In late 2016, an online only delivery service has been introduced in Tunisia as preparations to open the first store in Tunis have already started.[9] The first store is set to open sometime in 2017.[10] In february 2017, to open the first store in Bogota, Colombia in the mall Parque La Colina.[11]

Product ranges[edit]

The retailer develops and sells its own brands. Each sport or group of sports has a separate brand name:                       

Aptonia - Nutrition and Healthcare Artengo - Racket Sports B'Twin - Cycling Caperlan - Fishing Domyos - Fitness, Gym, Yoga, Dance, [12] Fouganza - Horse Riding FLX - Cricket Geologic - Target Sports such as Archery, Darts and Pétanque Geonaute - Sports Electronics Inesis - Golf Kalenji - Running Kipsta - Team Sports Nabaiji - Swimming Newfeel - Walking and Urban Wear Orao - Eyewear and Optical Accessories Outshock - Combat Sports Oxelo - Rollersports, Skating and Scooters Quechua - Hiking, Camping and Outdoor Gear Simond - Mountaineering Solognac - Hunting Tribord - Watersports Wed'Ze - Skiing and Snowboarding

Economic review Its success has greatly contributed to the decline of independent retailers in , while the spread of its own brands has caused great difficulties for traditional manufacturers. 2008 was a record year for the company as the brand Decathlon had beaten all its competitors on three key points: margin, market share, and highest turnover per square meter of retail space. It is arguably the third at a global level. A 2008 survey of 774 catchment areas at the request of the Ministry of Economy and Finance shows that "for sporting goods, Decathlon is dominant in 92.8% of zones".[13] This dominant position has the effect of marginalizing its commercial competitors, including independent retailers.[14]

Competition In 2009, Decathlon's sector rivals, Go Sport (fr) and Sport 2000, ed forces to set up a common purchasing centre in Switzerland, intended to "pressurize most of the major international suppliers", according to François Neukirsh, Managing Director of Go Sport, in the newspaper Les Échos. Otherwise, the company does not have significant competition due to their specific target audience in mass-market retail. Intersport is also a major competitor mainly in European market.

DECATHLON MAKES SPORT ACCESSIBLE FOR THE MANY 70 SPORTS UNDER ONE ROOF Decathlon‘s motto of making sport accessible for the many, is not just a mission statement, of our French sports company Decathlon, its a way of life. The company was founded in 1976 and offers 70 sports under one roof. No matter what age, spending power or sports ability, everyone can find the right product for them from a mountain bike to a surfboard. With its 20 own brands alone the company has more than 35 000 different products sold by more than 1000 retail stores in 30 countries. All that with a low price and high quality. This is possible as Decathlon’s supply chain includes product creation, research and development, logistics and of course retail. Each ion brand has their own research development team pushing innovative products that ensure customer needs are met both technically and aesthetically. The company’s head quarter is based in Villeneuve-d'Ascq, Lille (North of ) and is home to 530 products engineers and 150 product designers who create around 2800 new products and 40 patents on a yearly basis. The surfboards for example are developed and tested in Hendaye, a town along the atlantic coast (South of ) and sold exclusively through DECATHLON retail - as all the ion brand products. In the UK the company has 28 stores. Each one of them is designed to enable the customer to try the products in store. For example indoor test areas for scooters can make the shopping experience a family event/day out. Children are cycling through the aisles or playing football with their friends on the outdoor ground offered by some of the larger stores. Simultaneously parents have time to explore the large offer of the store. Large products like tents, table tennis tables and fitness machines are on display so can be tried and then taken away in a box. Additionally, many stores offer cycling trainings, pony 2008 riding or inline skate courses on a regular basis. Trying a new sport has never been so easy! Shopping in Decathlon is quick and easy. The products have signs that make it easy to differentiate the use and ability level of each product. In addition there is a team of sports advisors who are happy to spend time with each customer to advise as well as carry out repair and/ or maintenance on the sports products. Everyone who doesn‘t have a store near them at the moment in the UK can shop online. Decathlon offers, the click and collect service, so that the products can be ordered to home or for free to the store. Alternatively, customers can browse the full online catalogue through the range plus screens (touch screens) in store. There they can nd other delivery methods, more colours, or products that better suit their sporting ability - easily orderable by themselves. The aim of all digital services is to make the shopping experience as comfortable and easy, as possible.

Decathlon Purpose “Together, create desirability and make the pleasure and benefits of sports accessible to everyone” Involving all sports under one roof, DECATHLON promotes accessibility to the sport:

Accessibility by price while maintaining a high exigency on the development of the quality of our products. Simple stores, optimal logistics, efficient organizations and an ongoing commitment to control costs and allow us to decrease regularly the prices for our products.

Accessibility by a wide range of sports products. Our own brands called ion Brands such as Quechua, b'Twin, Kipsta, Nabaiji…that generate loyalty thanks to their value for money ratio: safety, use, style, instruction for use, availability… The famous International sport brands create and design affordable and qualitative products to practice sports.

Beyond these products, DECATHLON also offers many services to repair the sport equipment. And also a customer card, the gift card... (cf the details about our services)

· A fast and pleasant store thanks to self informed choice and assistance from helpful and friendly sports sales assistants

Decathlon propose sports events in the stores or in the free playgrounds. These free events allow our customers to discover sports and have fun, and speak with other sports enthusiast

· Finally, Decathlon China, it is above all 4,000 people ionate about sports that contribute daily to the satisfaction of our customers and are the primary asset of the Company.

· Decathlon History 1976 Michel Leclerq creates DECATHLON The first store open in Englos, north of , with a clear concept: to bring together all sports under one roof, at the best possible price in-self service format.

1985 Creation of the International Training school Launch of shareholder scheme for all employees

1986 Creation of « DECATHLON production » Opening of first store outside , in Dortmund ()

1992 Opening in Barcelona (Spain)

1993 Opening in Milan (Italy) 5000 employees and 100 stores

1996 Creation of the first two “ion” brands: Quechua and Tribord 10000 employees

2000 Opening in London (England), Amsterdam (Holland) and Lisbon (Portugal)

2001 Opening in Sao Paulo (Bresil) 25000 employees, 300 stores

2003 Opening 1st Chinese store in Shanghai.

2006 Opening in Moscow (Russia).

2010 Opening in Turkey and Czech Republic 50000 employees and 535 stores

2012 46 stores in China and over 4000 employees

2014.11 100 stores opened in China

TIME MACHINE OUR RISE THROUGH THE YEARS 1976

Decathlon founder Michel Leclerq opens 1st store in Englos, Lille.

1986

Launch of Decathlon Production, deg and manufactoring our products.

1996

Decathlon creates in house brands Tribord (water sports), and Quechua (Mountain Sports).

1999

Decathlon opens its 1st store in the UK in Surrey Quays, London.

2003

Decathlon heads East and opens 1st store in China, in Shanghai.

2005

The Decathlon Foundation is created to assist with making sport accessible.

2011

Decathlon.co.uk website is launched!

2013

Decathlon UK opens its first warehouse in Northampton.

2015

Decathlon Creation is produced to provide an innovation platform for customers.

2016

Decathlon has expanded to over 1,095 stores worldwide

2017

Decathlon UK will open its 30th store and employ over 1,100 people

DECATHLON TURNOVER

Decathlon revenues exceed 10 billion euros in 2016 By Corentin Chauvel - 14 February 2017

Marking 40 years of operation, Decathlon is in good shape. The French sporting goods retailer revealed on Monday a 12% lift in revenues during 2016 (+4.4% on a like-for-like basis), reaching 10 billion euros, excluding taxes.

Decathlon In , the chain store, which opened eight additional domestic outlets over the 12 months, recorded a sales growth of 2.2%, or 3.3 billion euros. Online sales for the year represented 4.1% of total revenues, compared to 3.1% in 2015, it said. Decathlon revealed international sales represented 67% of total revenues. The chain opened an extra 164 outlets, and entered five new markets (Mexico, Ivory Coast, Malaysia, Singapore and Slovenia) in 2016, taking its reach to 28 countries and 1,176 stores (including franchises). remains Decathlon's biggest retail market by far with 301 stores, followed by China and Taiwan (214) and Spain (149). Decathlon is said to be eyeing Israel in 2017, as well as Canada and The Philippines. Translated by Benjamin Fitzgerald

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