Becoming the latest global sports brand to enter the state, French sporting goods retailer Decathlon has launched its first store in Jharkhand. Located at Bistupur, Jamshedpur, the stand-alone store offers over 5,000 products spanning across 60 variations of sports clothing and gear for individuals of all ages and genders. These products span a wide array of categories, including outdoor, water, fitness, racket, team, cycling, running, walking, roller and target sports.
Founded in 1976 by Michel Leclercq with first store in Lille, France, Decathlon is present in over 72 countries and has more than 105,000 employees.
The international sports retailer entered India in 2009 with first store in Bengaluru. Entering India as a cash-and-carry retailer, the brand was approved for single-brand retail in 2013. Today, it operates more than 110 stores in 20 states across the country.
According to Steve Dyes, Chief Retail and Countries, the current store network expansion and increased local sourcing will make India Decathlon’s one among its top five global markets within the next five years.
The brand will add 10 new stores every year in the country besides accelerating online sales and also increasing local sourcing to over 90 per cent in the next five years.
