Sporting goods retailer Decathlon wants to expand in Germany
Published: Tuesday, Nov 19th 2024, 08:10
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Despite the poor buying mood, French sporting goods retailer Decathlon is focusing on expansion: dozens of stores are to be opened in Germany by the end of 2027. There are enough white spots in the store network.
The sporting goods retailer Decathlon wants to significantly expand its business in Germany - and is pushing into city centers. "We currently have 86 stores. In three years, by the end of 2027, there should be more than 150," Decathlon Germany CEO Arnaud Sauret told the German Press Agency. The plan is to invest up to 100 million euros in new openings and the modernization of existing stores. Several thousand new jobs are to be created.
The company is planning two more openings this year: A smaller store at Potsdam Central Station and a large store in Hamburg city center. Following this, further blank spots on the Decathlon map of Germany are to be erased. Stores in Nuremberg, Freiburg, Rostock, Oberhausen and the Kassel region are being discussed, for example.
Decathlon also focuses on smaller stores
But why expand right now, when there are major economic concerns in Germany and many people are holding on to their money in the face of inflation? "Unfortunately, we don't have a presence everywhere in Germany - although we know that we could play a bigger role. At the same time, there are a lot of buildings in the city centers that are simply empty. That's our opportunity," said Decathlon expansion boss Stefan Kaiser.
Decathlon wants to move closer to its customers with this step. To date, the company has mainly had stores that offer a wide range of products in large sales areas. However, these are usually located outside city centers. In addition to the large stores, there will in future be smaller stores in shopping centers and pedestrian zones. These could specialize in one type of sport and adapt to local needs. For example, there will be a branch for mountain sports in Munich.
Decathlon wants to gain market share
The specialist sports market in Germany is worth billions. The top dog is the retail group Intersport with sales of around 3.5 billion euros. It is followed by the Sport 2000 buying group with 2.95 billion euros. The French recently generated a good 1.1 billion euros.
Decathlon is now on the attack: "We have two very strong competitors in Germany who are doing a great job. But that obliges us to be even better. As athletes, we love the challenge," said Sauret. The company is already the market leader in other European countries - partly because there is a larger branch network there. Market share and turnover should increase significantly as a result of the expansion. The manager did not give any specific figures.
Decathlon is also expanding in Switzerland. Decathlon opened its first store in this country in 2018 and subsequently took over 23 stores from the sports retailer Athleticum, which belonged to the Manor Group. Today there are 38 locations in total. Further stores are planned by 2026.
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