Decathlon, The One Stop Shop For All Sports Goods!

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<iframe src="//ws-in.amazon-adsystem.com/widgets/q?ServiceVersion=20070822&OneJS=1&Operation=GetAdHtml&MarketPlace=IN&source=ac&ref=tf_til&ad_type=product_link&tracking_id=iconsofindi0b-21&marketplace=amazon&region=IN&placement=B08W2T1KVW&asins=B08W2T1KVW&linkId=98336b0293c56039029e0db16facbf39&show_border=true&link_opens_in_new_window=false&price_color=333333&title_color=0066c0&bg_color=ffffff"> </iframe>In recent times in India, the sporting industry has seen a drastic shift in terms of being a one sports nation to a multi-sport viewing nation. The upsurge in participation and engagement has led brands to ply their trade in several parts of the country and grow their business in sheer rapidity. India is the 7th largest economy in the world. Sports as a business is going through a massive cycle of change, which is headed towards a positive path. The nascent industry which is blooming at a steady rate has led to a great amount of growth in terms of education, health accompanied by fitness and most importantly, employment.

 

Among the various competitors in the sports retail market, Decathlon, a French-based company, who thoroughly dominate the market worldwide, has seen a steady growth in India. The decathlon was started back in 1976 in the beautiful city of Lille, France by Michel Leclercq. They eventually started expanding overseas after a decade by opening their franchises in Germany, Spain, Portugal, Italy, UK, China, India and other nations. Astonishingly, they have 1500+ stores in 49 countries currently. The company employs more than 87000 staffs from 80 different nationalities. They own 20 brands under their belt which offers products in all variety of sports. Furthermore, Decathlon is the largest sports goods retailer in the world.

 

Decathlon first established their franchise back in 2009 in Bengaluru. It was the first entity to incorporate a big-format niche retail chain in India. They soon expanded their stores in Mumbai, Hyderabad, and Chandigarh which had a great response. It took Decathlon no time to break even in India. Recently, Decathlon plan to invest a roaring 700 Crores INR to expand its business in India.

 

Decathlon Sports India CEO, Steve Dykes said in an interview, "India is a priority country. We dream to open 100 stores in India in five years.” Also, the company sees India as a key market to expand their business as they termed India to be their top global market in terms of stores. Generally, Decathlon stores are huge- sprawling over at least 4000 square feet. In comparison, the other sports goods shops are tiny in size. Not only has Decathlon opened career opportunities for the sports enthusiasts in the country, but it has also helped to shape a sporting ecosystem in the country. Decathlon as an organization emphasizes product quality and they have 20 brands which cover 70 sports. The cost of the products is quite economical as well. In India, people are starved for entertainment beyond movies, restaurants, and malls. Decathlon has the potential to provide weekend entertainment alternatives as they offer to practice indoor sports in their enormous showrooms.

 

Make In India or Self – reliance are the words often used today, but for Decathlon it has been a strong pillar of the business model since they opened their manufacturing and export activity in India in 1997. Since 2017, it has partnered with cotton yarn manufacturer for the raw materials. 40% of the produce is exported to other countries. 90% of the cycles sold in India are made in India. Decathlon has been working with textile manufacturers in India for over 2 decades now. As of today, about 59% of woven products, 75% of knit products with natural fiber sold in the stores are made in India. The target is to have 95% of the products made in India in the next 3 years.

 

Decathlon has a dedicated team for Research and Development of sporting equipment and goods. With a dedicated product development and design team, they undergo various models of tests and develop the latest innovative designs, registering up to 40 patents per year. Each brand represents a different sport or group of sports. Decathlon’s main mission is to make sport accessible to every person in the world as they believe, the sport has the power to change the globe. As a company, they anticipate to help, inspire and guide through varied sporting experiences.

 

Decathlon Sports India's operating revenues range is Over INR 500 cr for the financial year ending on 31 March, 2021. It's EBITDA has increased by 87.26 % over the previous year. At the same time, it's book networth has increased by 8.76 %.

 

Decathlon opened 22 stores across 16 cities amid lockdown relaxation. Decathlon has 70 large-scale stores in India and retails over 500 products including running shoes, clothing, and other sports goods. Decathlon has launched a series of zero-contact and innovative, technology-enabled shopping options in addition to stringent in-store safety and health-related compliances to safeguard its customers and staff from the Covid-19 disease. Decathlon, the one stop shop for all sports goods! Decathlon brings the joy of sports to people across the world by developing innovative and affordably priced sportswear and sports equipment products.

 

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