Building Decathlon's
next frontier
People need sport today more than ever.
The world around us is changing rapidly with innovation and technology evolving at lightspeed. It can be unsettling, creating stress and pressure. We have also become more unhealthy as a global population, with sedentarism and overconsumption on the rise. There’s a particular issue amongst children, where obesity has risen in Europe by 150% since 1980.
At Decathlon, we believe that sport has a vital role to play in helping societies to be healthier and happier. Sport helps us to reconnect with our humanity, with the planet, and with our physical selves. So, we took a moment to ask ourselves who we really want to be, and why we exist as an organisation…
From this, we wrote our North Star. This is our long-term ambition, and our guiding light to have all the positive impact we can have in the world. Guided by the North Star, a new purpose was born, to Move People Through the Wonders of Sport.
Anchored to this purpose, we created a new strategy to concretely evolve many aspects of our business. This includes recreating our customer experience, accelerating the movement towards sustainability, and modernising our company end-to-end.
Core to the evolution of the customer’s experience through all its touchpoints, is the introduction of our new brand.
We are all incredibly excited and proud to share with you the new chapter of Decathlon. One that will help many people around the world experience the wonders of sport.
Barbara Martin Coppola
Decathlon Global CEO
A new ambition,
a new positioning,
a new identity
In 1976, Decathlon was created out of friendship between sports lovers who wanted everyone to enjoy the benefits and fun of being active. Many people have a story to tell with Decathlon, whether it is about a trusty piece of gear or learning to ride a bike.
And so what started as a dream of friends is now a global company with more than 100,000 teammates and more than 1,700 stores across 70 countries and regions, offering sporting equipment for 80 sports. A sports brand catering to beginners and experts alike.
Today, the world around us is changing faster than ever creating stress, pressure and a lack of a sense of belonging. In addition, as much as 70% of the world population is inactive according to the World Health Organization.
For our mental and physical well being, the world needs sport more than ever right now.
For decades, Decathlon has been democratising sport, but today, we feel that we must go much further and faster, to have an even greater impact. So we started to ask ourselves, why are we really here? Who do we want to be? What is the reason why Decathlon exists?
From this, we came together and wrote our North Star which is our ambition, our guiding light for building a better future for people, society and the planet.
Within our North Star, we have a beautiful purpose, to Move People Through the Wonders of Sport.
These words have multiple, important meanings.
Move: physically by helping people to live active lifestyles, emotionally by bringing joy into people’s lives and fostering connections, and behaviourally so that people adopt more sustainable behaviours.
People: accessible to all people, at all levels. From beginners right up to expert elites. Today we have the technicity that enables us to produce world-class competitive products.
Wonders of Sport: The magic of doing it your way, it can be the joy of participation or the thrill of performance, we help make sport yours in an inclusive way.
So our purpose can be interpreted by people in many different ways according to what matters most to them, and that’s what makes it so special.
During this process, we asked our customers why they played sports and we actually found that health and fun were the two main reasons, followed by performance in third place. In the world of sport, far more focus has been placed on performance and being the best, but at Decathlon we are here for you whatever ‘wonder’ you want to get out of your activity.
So, the North Star was built and our purpose defined. Next, we put them into concrete action. A strategy designed to totally transform our business model was written and we’ve been acting on it for the last few years. This strategy revolves around 3 key domains.
The first is Customer experience, which must go beyond the product and involve customers in an immersive and complete experience. We will be evolving every single touchpoint, while creating entirely new ones, to take our customers on a memorable journey. In order to do this, we have created an evolved brand. This, together with our ambition and new strategy, is what we will be unveiling to the world on Tuesday 12th March.
The next is Sustainability. We are creating new circular business models, redesigning every single product with its environmental impact in mind, innovating our production process and using exciting new renewable materials. All of this comes back to our unwavering commitment to reduce our impact on our shared playground, so that people can enjoy sports long into the future.
The third is the modernisation, rationalisation and digitalisation of our entire model. We are an end-to-end business - this makes us unique. We are transforming everything from the ideation process and production, right the way through to use and re-use of our products. This will help us to become more flexible, agile and reactive to the needs of the world around us.
None of this is possible without our key priority - our people. We want our teammates to contribute to our shared purpose to make the world a happier, healthier place.
This will be Decathlon’s legacy: opening the wonders of sport to everyone through the generosity, ingenuity and passion of our teammates.
Our new brand identity
The new logo consists of two elements, our wordmark and our new symbol, known as the Orbit.
The Orbit is an expression of our North Star, building from our past to project us towards our future.
Its movement conveys our commitment to circularity while drawing on Decathlon’s design heritage with our iconic tilted “A”.
Representing a mountain, a sail, a wave, or even a heartbeat, the peak at the end of the Orbit closes the movement towards new heights.
A symbol of openness, Decathlon’s new logo lets everyone embrace it for what it means to them: whether it is accessibility, high-performance, innovation, or a positive impact on the environment.
Our new shade of blue is vibrant and full of energy, representing Decathlon’s credibility as a sports brand.
But our new brand identity goes beyond our new logo.
Built on modularity, our brand identity will reflect our multi-specialisation, reaching out to more people, from beginners to experts. It will bring joy, emotions and convey strong values of inclusivity.
Decathlon’s new identity has been in the making for the past two years. Teams have been hard at work to create a brand which truly represents Decathlon for what it is: a global multi-specialist sports brand, moving all people, from beginners to top athletes, through the wonders of sport.
Decathlon is bringing its new positioning and identity to life by:
- connecting product to a larger emotion or activity leading with expressive and relatable imagery and captivating content,
- introducing New merchandising and storytelling,
- bringing moments of delight through motion, content, and much more….
We are launching a whole new digital shopping experience for our customers, with new and improved features on our eCommerce platforms (both on the front-end and back-end) that enhance the overall customer experience, and align closely with Decathlon’s new brand positioning and modern omnichannel strategy.
With this new experience, we will put customers at the center of the shopping journey and make sure they discover the stories behind our products in a way that is meaningful to them.
The UK is the first country to unveil its 100% revamped eCommerce site. Other countries to follow as part of a phased rollout.
Stores, all over the world, will also benefit from the new identity, whether it is on their signage or in their setup. They will propose a new and immersive experience to all customers, whatever their goal or level in their sporting journey.
As soon as they enter a Decathlon store, customers will step into a world of possibilities. Stores will adopt a circular mass plan, offering our customers intuitive navigation, increased product visibility, engaging displays, and an aesthetically pleasing atmosphere. This layout will promote efficient browsing, easy comparison, and a memorable shopping experience, creating a positive and enjoyable journey.
In addition, stores will offer new features such as showrooms, discovery stations seamlessly integrating physical and digital elements to facilitate the exploration, analysis, and comparison of products. Services will include circular hubs dedicated to repairing, second-life products and renting services as well as lockers for customers to pick up their orders, benefitting from flexible and contactless access, 24/7 availability, reduced wait times, and enhanced privacy.
A fusion of style and functionality, our new teammates’ vest will embody our new brand identity.
This sleek, unisex gilet has a modern silhouette and practical pockets. Customizable by our teammates, it is a symbol of innovation and technicity, ensuring a confident stride into the future.
Because we want to bring joy and happy emotions to people, and empower them to practise sport on their own terms, the new brand identity will be accompanied by a new brand platform with a new tagline.
READY TO PLAY?
The question Decathlon is asking today is, are you ready to play?
This is an invitation to colleagues, customers and the world, to embrace that thing we all have within us,
That we feel since the day we were born.
That doesn’t care how old you are, how rich you are, how strong or fit you are.
That moves you through sport, and life, with more energy and enjoyment.
Nothing should hold you back
And together with Decathlon and our commitment to making sport for everyone, nothing will.
So are you
Ready to play?
DECATHLON OF TOMORROW
Over the past two years, teammates have gathered around a vision to transform Decathlon’s business model and pave the way for a sports brand that can move and inspire everyone.
In line with Decathlon’s purpose and core values, the brand is deploying a bold new strategy based on innovation & digital, sustainability and health, and diversity.
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Moving all people through
the wonders of sport -
A Multi-specialist brand
shaping the sports
experience of tomorrow -
Making the world more liveable
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Decathlon’s digital-first mindset
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Supporting healthier and
happier lives -
Looking to the future as one
Moving all people through the wonders of sport
Decathlon is ready to move all people through the wonders of sport, no matter their level or ambition. Sport is not about setting records or achieving personal bests – unless that’s what you’re into. We believe that sport should be enjoyable and easy to start, because only then will it truly belong to the people. And that’s why Decathlon is levelling the playing field.
For this reason, Decathlon is unleashing the full potential of the brand through a new and simplified brand portfolio. Decathlon is making its offer easier to understand while at the same time providing the best gear, catering to every need.
NEW BRAND PORTFOLIO
Decathlon’s brand structure is evolving to reflect its new identity as a global, multi-specialist sports brand.
Decathlon is our global sports brand, for all people, all sports and all levels.
We have 9 Category Specialists reflecting our multi-specialism: Quechua (mountain), Tribord (water and wind), Rockrider (outdoor cycling), Domyos (fitness), Kuikma (racket), Kipsta (team sports), Caperlan (wildlife), Btwin (urban gliding and mobility) and Inesis (target).
In addition to its category specialists, Decathlon also has 4 expert brands who focus on creating performance products for expert users.
- Van Rysel
- Simond
- Kiprun
- Solognac
This new brand structure will enable customers to better understand the brand’s offering. This shift is consistent with our ability to provide quality gear and sport solutions for pros and beginners alike, so everyone can play on their terms, in their own way.
A Multi-specialist brand shaping the sports experience of tomorrow
Decathlon is a multi-specialist sports brand, designing and producing innovative sports gear and equipment, but Decathlon is also shaping the sports experience of tomorrow.
Decathlon is focused on creating the best sport experience for everyone, whether sports means performance and records, or staying fit and healthy. To that end, sports innovation is at the heart of Decathlon. One part science, one part engineering and design, one part passion, the Decathlon SportsLab constantly studies the human body in motion.
Decathlon designs innovations around its customers, whether that’s in terms of product excellence, customer experience, sustainability – and, of course, the sports that generate passion. That’s why Decathlon has 15 design and innovation centers around the world. Every day, over 850 engineers and 400 designers relentlessly invent, create, design, and try and test new materials and products. The result is a set of groundbreaking sporting solutions, underpinned by 900 patents – and every year Decathlon is adding more. The innovations we are making today are the sports gear and experiences of tomorrow.
KEY INNOVATIONS
Decathlon has a human-centric approach to innovation and strives to foster a culture and a community of innovators across the company.
This culture drives all aspects of how we innovate on customer experience, AI and analytics, digital cockpit, ecommerce and connected sports.
Decathlon’s organisation is shaped by this culture and includes expert teams such as Booster Innovation - supporting local teams, Sports Lab - dedicated to the study of sports and dynamics of the human body, AddLab - a 3D prototyping center and Advance Design - designing the sports of the future.
And the result is a range of groundbreaking products created by innovators at Decathlon:
Making the world more liveable
All the good that sports can do for people’s lives and societies cannot be at the expense of our planet.
DECATHLON has committed to becoming Net Zero by 2050, and has built a decarbonization trajectory based on the Paris agreement and in line with the Net Zero standard. DECATHLON’s decarbonization targets are (scopes 1, 2 & 3):
- 20% reduction in absolute CO2 emissions in 2026
- 42% reduction in absolute CO2 emissions in 2030 and net zero by 2050
Strongly engaged in reaching its ambition, Decathlon has, for the second year in a row in 2023, decoupled its growth and its CO2 emissions, strongly accelerating the trend set in 2022.
Sustainability drives and shapes innovation and we are working all along the value chain from the materials that go into our products to changing our business model towards reusability.
- Innovative, low-impact design and sustainable materials
Every day, our teams, all around the world, work tirelessly to develop products which are more sustainable by design and employ innovative materials to reduce our impact on the environment.
Decathlon has spent years redefining its approach to design and manufacturing. From conception to production, the brand has developed strong systems and processes to ensure everyone along the value chain, designers and manufacturers, is committed to continuously reducing environmental impact.
This also means that across the product range, Decathlon is increasing product lifespans and enabling customers to reuse, repair and recycle their products.
- A collaborative approach to the value chain
Decathlon is working hand in hand with suppliers and partners to unlock sustainability all across the supply chain. With this collaborative approach, Decathlon is working with suppliers to decarbonise processes and pave the way for new business models based on circularity and increased product life cycles.
Decathlon is also rallying partners and suppliers to adopt new, cleaner energy sources, as in China, where Decathlon, alongside 14 partners, is part of the development of a solar farm aiming to double the volume of renewable energy used to make its products.
- New business models
Decathlon is developing new circular business models with the deployment of multiple schemes including second hand, buy backs, rental and subscription, repair and spare parts.
By 2024, 8 countries - France, Belgium, Spain, Italy, Netherlands, Germany, Portugal, Poland - will offer rental programs for products such as bicycles, camping equipment, skis and kayaks.
All across Decathlon, dedicated sustainability teams are hard at work on every one of our brands and product lines, to move people through the wonders of sport while protecting the living and future generations.
Decathlon’s digital-first mindset
Decathlon’s digital teams and teammates work hand in hand to develop smart and innovative solutions, leveraging digital to help reach the next frontier. Customers' needs are ever-changing in a crowded sports retail landscape. Decathlon listens - embedding digital in every aspect, from working together to make products, serving customers in the best possible way, moving products through the value chain and implementing innovative circularity.
Decathlon’s approach is unique and invests three key areas: people - making our teammates master new tools and technologies in no time (including AI, data analytics and platforms), growth - solving together critical business problems at an unprecedented scale and speed, and efficiency - optimising processes and resources all over our markets.
A CUSTOMER EXPERIENCE BUILT ON DIGITAL PRODUCTS WITH A STRONG TECH FOUNDATION AND HIGH-QUALITY DATA SECURELY DELIVERED.
Decathlon’s unique approach to digital is embodied by:
- Decathlon’s seamless shopping experience, anytime, anywhere, drives the company’s growth;
- Decathlon is breaking ground with new ways to surprise and delight our customers, including our 3D Shopping App on Apple Vision Pro in the US and our UK eCommerce revamp;
- Decathlon’s digital supply chain has been rethought with the best-in class tools and AI algorithms to enable accurate forecasting, assortment planning and stock parameters. This has led to significant reductions in stock levels and a wide range of improvements including decreasing transportation costs, carbon footprint and delivery time.
Decathlon's digital drive is transforming its culture, empowering teammates, and creating new ways of working across the value chain, to continue moving people through the wonders of sport.
Supporting healthier and happier lives
Lack of physical activity is a serious public health issue. Many people around the world live inactive lives and Decathlon aims to change that.
Decathlon supports enabling everyone to do the sport that fits their lifestyle, so that they may be healthier and look after their wellbeing.
Decathlon does not define sport as just competition and peak performance. Sport belongs to all people, whether they are young or old, athletes or amateurs and whether they have a goal or just want to get around.
Sports goes beyond individual enjoyment and is a key lever to improve society. Through sports, Decathlon is committed to helping people live happier, healthier and longer lives, all over the world. The Decathlon Foundation is open to everyone and bridges the gap between enjoyment, health and sustainability.
The Foundation is an employee-driven project that has supported 920 initiatives in 50 countries, helping over half a million people around the world, thanks to the involvement of more than 10,000 teammates since 2005.
DECATHLON FOUNDATION
The Decathlon Foundation, for almost twenty years, has supported a wide range of charitable projects combining sport, health, education and employability.
As an employee-driven initiative, the Foundation embodies Decathlonians’ commitment to move everyone through the wonders of sport.
The Foundation leads ambitious projects such as Sport For Schoolchildren, a project initiated by the teammates of Decathlon India to help vulnerable children access sports. The initiative helped develop sports curriculum and provide sports education, while assessing the impact on health, fitness and emotional wellbeing in children.
Decathlon is proud to foster a workplace culture where teammates join forces and reach out to help the most vulnerable.
Looking to the future as one
Our purpose, "Move people through the wonders of sport", drives us to democratise sports globally, celebrating each teammate's unique contributions.
This would be impossible to achieve without our ambition to be one of the mostiInclusive organizations in the world, where we reflect and celebrate the diversity of our communities.
Diversity, equality and inclusion are at the heart of Decathlon, striving to build a culture with a deep sense of connection and belonging, leading to innovation and performance at all levels.
This means Decathlon must reflect the society it wants to be a part of, through gender equity, balanced teams, and creating a level playing field for those who are under represented. Decathlon must foster a sense of belonging, creating a workplace where Inclusive Leadership is the norm and leaders act as role models, DEI champions and allies.
Decathlon is building a culture of innovation with a special focus on inclusion, creating products and services that cater to 70 markets.
And as an inclusive organisation, Decathlon inspires others to join and enable inclusive workplaces everywhere.
DIVERSITY, EQUITY AND INCLUSION
Decathlon has made unprecedented commitments for 2026, including measuring representation, inclusion and belonging, acting on it, and inspiring the world by setting global standards and best in class performance in DEI.
By 2026, Decathlon will have over 48% women in leadership roles, 40% of international top leaders and an ever greater employee satisfaction regarding inclusion & belonging (95% vs. 91% in 2023).
In 2023, Decathlon’s Executive team reached parity for the first time in its history.
These ambitious goals are consistent with some of the achievements we have secured thus far, including building and strengthening communities such as our community of women in leadership and associated programmes, forging external partnerships with DEI experts and receiving several industry recognitions including a 10th place in Forbes’ Retail & Wholesale category for the “Best employer for Women”.
Our teams are more than ever driven to make Decathlon a DEI leader across the sector and an inspiration to all global organisations.