OUR STORY
OUR ORIGIN
In 1976, Decathlon opened its first store in Englos, a town near Lille in the north of France. With over four decades of experience, we strive to provide innovative, affordable, and sustainable sports products. We have remained committed to our mission: to move people through the wonder of sports. We offer over 70 sports categories and have over 1,700 stores in over 60 countries worldwide.
INNOVATION AT DECATHLON SINCE 1986
Our dedication to delivering quality and affordable products is evident in all aspects of our operations. Since 1986, we have focused on developing and manufacturing innovative, high-performance owned-brand products that cater to over 70 sports.
OUR ENGINEERS AND DESIGNERS LOVE SPORTS TOO
Our engineers and designers specialize in apparel, footwear, trends, colours, graphics, 3D, packaging and more. With expertise in retail, digital, and communications, they collaborate on diverse manufacturing processes and over 2,500 product types to create the best possible sports experience for users. As of 31 Dec, 2022:
15 DESIGN CENTRES AROUND THE WORLD
90% of the products we sell are designed by Decathlon teams. They are meticulously designed and rigorously tested in our 15 specialized design centres worldwide, with 10 in France. These state-of-the-art facilities are equipped with performance labs, testing resources, and prototyping capabilities, allowing us to fully immerse ourselves in the world of each sport we cater to.
The following provides a glimpse into 9 of our design centres located in France:
In 1994, we opened the DECATHLON Campus, our first design centre, in Villeneuve d'Ascq, North of France. Around the design centre: a store and multisport fields spread over 50 hectares.
In 1999, the first design centre dedicated to mountain sports was located in the legendary Mont-Blanc valley, 20 km from Chamonix. It grew until the opening of the Mountain Store in 2014. Designed with respect for the environment, this 10,000 m2 space brings together a store and all the design teams.
In Hendaye, the Water Sports Center has been dedicated to the design of water sports since 2004. This 2000 m² space is established on the premises of the former port auction near the ocean. It is also the largest store for watersports in the region.
Established in 2008 in Gironde, the largest forest in Europe, this 18-hectare design centre is dedicated to hunting and fishing sports. On site, there is also the largest hunting and fishing store in Aquitaine, practice areas, and a one-and-a-half-hectare pond.
Since 2008, the Domyos Center in Marcq-en-Baroeul, north of France, has welcomed design teams with expertise in fitness, cardio, yoga, dance, pilates, cross-training, body-building, and even combat sports. Around the design centre, there is a store, a fitness club, and a physiotherapy centre. In 2022, Domyos Center completed 18 months of expansion and modernization work and was renamed as Decathlon Fitness Experience Center.
Inesis Golf Park has welcomed design teams to Marcq-en-Baroeul since 2009. It has a pro shop, a 9-hole course, a 6-hole pitch-and-putt course, an indoor practice facility with 20 stations, an outdoor practice facility with 43 stations, an indoor putting green, an outdoor putting green, and a simulator.
Since 2010, the B'Twin Village has welcomed urban mobility and cycling enthusiasts to Lille (North of France). On-site are a design centre, a bicycle assembly plant, a store, bike trails, a skate ramp, a table tennis court, and a fitness centre.
In 2015, the Kipstadium moved to Tourcoing (North of France). This design centre is dedicated to team sports and has over 45,000 m2 of indoor and outdoor fields for football, handball, basketball, volleyball, rugby, etc. Kipstadium also has five different floor coverings, five collective changing rooms, a warm-up and stretching room, and a footgolf course.
Decathlon opened the doors of the new Tribord Sailing Lab in La Rochelle on 2 July, 2021. It is a unique place dedicated to sailing: prototyping, creation, co-design, meetings, inspiration, and solutions to facilitate sailing, as close as possible to where people practice the sport.
SPORTS LAB
Sportslab is our lab dedicated to researching sports users' bodies.
It has 4 laboratories: a thermal comfort lab, a movement sciences lab, a body morphology lab and a sensory and behavioural sciences lab. Every day, 40 research engineers (including 17 PhD holders) explore how the body works, and what its needs are in each environment.
Test in a thermal chamber to find out the product's resistance to extreme temperatures.
Force plate to collect data on the foot force when it impacts the ground. Very useful to evaluate the level of cushioning required for a shoe.
Taking measurements of the human body with the help of a 3D scanner.
Blind sensory testing to characterise the texture of materials.
LEARN MORE ABOUT DECATHLON
OUR VALUES
We live by four values that guide our actions and interactions, strengthen our connection with our community and shape our culture.
VITALITY
It’s about being alive and seeing the brighter side of things. We're enthusiastic about what we do.
RESPONSIBILITY
It’s about taking accountability of our actions. We all have a choice and we are the main player in our own life.
GENEROSITY
It’s about doing things from the heart and being focused on helping others.
AUTHENTICITY
It’s about being true to yourself, and towards others.
OUR PEOPLE
Decathlon is an international community of sports enthusiasts who have transformed their passion into a career. Our diverse teams encompass semi-professionals, amateurs, and complete beginners.
We firmly believe that sports is an inclusive activity, and our team is dedicated to designing, producing, and marketing high-quality gear and equipment for all sports lovers.
At Decathlon, we stand united as a team, fostering a culture of collaboration and mutual support. Together, we are stronger, and our collective dedication to sports inspires us to innovate and push boundaries continually.
OUR INTEGRATED BUSINESS MODEL
OUR PLANET
Committed to creating a greener future, we have set verifiable science-based emissions reduction targets through the Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi). Here are some of our key commitments by 2026:
Renewable energy: 100% of our electricity will come from renewable sources in our stores and warehouses.
Second life: We’ve made it our business to breathe a second life into lightly marked products to reduce their impact on the planet.