Decathlon is the largest sporting goods retailer in the world, founded in France in 1976. It now has over 1,100 stores in 38 countries, employing 78,000 staff. Decathlon stocks a wide range of sporting equipment and owns over 20 brands. It focuses on making sports accessible through large stores and competitive pricing. The company communicates through its big store facades, online presence, and sports-focused events. It aims to speak to sports users rather than view them as customers.

1. DECATHALON SPORTS
Mudit Bhargava
2016G10
MBA Executive (2016-19)
Sem III

2. Decathlon S.A. is a French sporting goods retailer, the largest sporting goods retailer in the world.
Decathlon started with a store in Lille, France in 1976, founded by Michel Leclercq.
It started to expand abroad a decade later, to Germany in 1986, Spain in 1992, Italy in 1998, Portugal, the
United Kingdom in 1999, China in 2003, India in 2009, Malaysia in 2016 and Southeast Asia in 2012. Today,
there are more than 1100 stores in 38 countries. The company employs more than 78,000 staff from 80 different
nationalities.
The retailer stocks a wide range of sporting goods, from tennis rackets to advanced scuba diving equipment,
usually in large superstores which are sized at an average of 4,000m².
Decathlon Group also owns over 20 brands, with research and development facilities all over France to develop
the latest innovative designs, registering up to 40 patents per year. Each brand represents a different sport or
group of sports, with a dedicated product development and design team.

3. Aptonia - Nutrition and Healthcare
Artengo - Racket Sports
B'Twin - Cycling
Caperlan - Fishing
Domyos - Fitness, Gym, Yoga, Dance,
Fouganza - Horse Riding
FLX - Cricket
Geologic - Target Sports such as Archery, Darts and Pétanque
Geonaute - Sports Electronics
Inesis - Golf
Kalenji - Running
Kipsta - Team Sports
Nabaiji - Swimming
Newfeel - Sport Walking
Orao - Eyewear and Optical Accessories
Outshock - Combat Sports
Oxelo - Rollersports, Skating and Scooters
Quechua - Hiking, Camping and Outdoor Gear
Simond - Mountaineering
Solognac - Hunting
Tribord - Watersports
Wed'Ze - Skiing and Snowboarding

4. COMMUNICATION STRATEGY
WHY
 To make sports accessible to the many.
WHAT
 Speaks to sport users not customers
 Smart cost (no expensive media like TV ads etc.)
 Focusses on sports not lifestyle (not a fashionable brand)
 Team mates are the ambassadors (no celebrity or models for shoots)
HOW
 Awareness - to make people know
 Offline - Big Store facade & playground (innovative & strongest medium of
communication in a place like India where we lack places to play)
 Messages - 50 sports -5000 products
 Online - SEO’s

5. Image – To make people like the brand
Message – Its your sports store
Offline - events in catchment (go where people are!)
Online - Facebook - A national page https://www.facebook.com/decathlonindia/
(how products are designed & tested)
Blog - http://blog.decathlon.in/- Focusses on sport advice (how to guides etc.)
Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/decathlonsportsindia/ (user experiences)

6. Make people come
Offline - Sports events at store (multi-sport events)
Online - Contest on social media. Each store has different FB page to stay relevant to communities

7. BASKET - Make people buy
Commercial operations (Sport focussed & seasonality focussed)
Catalogue for every commercial operation, aggressive display (less flyers!, more quality)
Campaign inline with vision

8. Seasonal Campaigns -
Sports Focussed Campaigns -

9. Print Ads & Bill Boards
"More eggs can only be found at Easter" "More air pumps can only be found in politics" "More shoes you will find only at your girlfriends closet"

10. Test Zones - To give
user’s confidence
How to Maintain
Workshops
Loyalty

11. THANKS