Change of pace in Decathlon Italy’s development strategy. The subsidiary is opening up to franchising and aims to open 91 medium-large stores throughout Italy by 2030. Alongside company-owned stores, the multinational is accelerating with two new formats, Essential and Seasonal, to reach new customer bases and shorten the distance with enthusiasts. For Decathlon, franchising is not a new model: it has been adopted for about twenty years in various international markets, especially in countries where local conditions made development through a direct network more complex. Today, however, the perspective changes: franchising is also introduced in European markets where Decathlon already has a consolidated presence. A mixed model will be created, in which direct and franchised stores can coexist and together contribute to the spread of sport and brand development. “Italy is a country made up of very different territories in terms of size, characteristics, and sports cultures. Franchising offers us the opportunity to better interpret this heterogeneity, adapting our presence to local specificities and creating new opportunities to bring sport closer to people’s daily lives,” said Massimo Trabattoni, Country franchising leader of Decathlon Italy.
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Decathlon has identified 91 potential locations for the development of the new network, distributed across all Italian regions to be realized in the next four years. The project focuses on two types of locations: areas with catchment basins of about 100-120 thousand inhabitants reachable within 20 minutes and tourist destinations characterized by strong seasonality and a specific sports vocation. The network will be progressively developed together with a selected number of partners who over time will manage multiple stores.
Two formats are planned: Essential will have an area of about 1,000 square meters and will be mainly aimed at centers and urban basins where Decathlon is not yet present. The assortment can be generalist or more focused on the most practiced sports in the territory. Seasonal, on the other hand, will develop with an area roughly between 200 and 500 square meters and will be aimed at seaside and mountain tourist destinations and can follow the seasonality of flows. Assortment and services will be tailored to the characteristics of the location, from winter and outdoor sports to cycling and water sports.
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Now Decathlon is looking for entrepreneurs who, alongside financial solidity and the ability to develop multiple stores, have a deep knowledge of the territory and a strong connection to the world of sport. The goal is to make the franchisee not only the manager of a store but a partner capable of interpreting the needs of the local sports community. The composition of the range will also reflect this balance between Decathlon identity and local specificities: at least 70% of the assortment will consist of Decathlon brand products, while up to 20% may include international brands already present in the Group’s catalog. The remaining 10% can be selected by the franchisee, respecting the criteria defined by Decathlon, to meet the specific needs of the territory. Franchised stores will adopt the same visual identity codes, layout, tools, and service standards as the direct network. The transmission of know-how will also be central: in the phase before and immediately after opening, the teams of the new stores will be supported by those of the direct stores with the aim of transmitting the corporate culture and Decathlon’s values and main operational skills. This path will then be supplemented by a continuous training program on products, services, and skills. This is an essential element of the relationship with each partner, called to contribute to the Company’s ambition to make sport accessible to as many people as possible.
Moreover, the new stores will also be able to offer services from the Decathlon ecosystem including workshop, rental, membership, gift card, and online order pickup. Rental will play a particularly important role in the Seasonal formats: it will be possible, for example, to book equipment online before departure and pick it up directly at the store in the tourist location.
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