The sporting goods giant Decathlon has announced ambitious plans for its growth in Germany. By 2027, the company wants to operate a total of 150 branches, 60 of which will be new, and invest over 100 million euros in new locations and modernizations. The aim is to get even closer to customers and strengthen the brand’s presence. “We’re really picking up the pace in the next three years and starting a wave of expansion,” says Decathlon Germany CEO Arnaud Sauret. “Ultimately, we want to become the preferred sports brand in Germany. We are significantly expanding our branch network. Close to people and with new formats. We will also create a lot of new jobs.”
New concept in planning
Decathlon is expanding its proven multisport store concept with smaller formats for pedestrian zones and shopping centers as well as specialized stores from the new “Connect” line. These focus on specific sports areas such as mountain sports or mobility and offer an area of 400 to 800 m². With these concepts, Decathlon wants to adapt its products even more specifically to local needs. According to Stefan Kaiser, Director Real Estate at Decathlon Germany, by 2027 every German should be able to reach a Decathlon location within 20 minutes. The sports giant wants to be more strongly represented, particularly in the top 15 pedestrian zones in Germany.
With the expansion, Decathlon is also planning to open up to 10 workshops across Germany. The goal is to quadruple the number of repairs from 120,000 to 500,000 per year. In addition to their own products, the workshops will also repair items from third-party brands in the future, which will expand the range of services.
Decathlon will open two new locations this year: a new-look “Connect” store in Potsdam’s Bahnhofspassagen at the end of November and a multisport branch on Mönckebergstrasse in Hamburg in mid-December. Locations in Munich and Giessen will follow in 2025.
