With over 2, stores in 79 countries and regions , [ 1 ] it is the largest sporting goods retailer in the world. The company manages the research, design, production, logistics and distribution of its products in-house; partners with global suppliers; and markets its own brands directly to consumers in Decathlon-branded big-box stores.
The retailer stocks a wide range of sporting goods, from tennis rackets to advanced scuba diving equipment, usually in large, big-box superstores averaging 4,m 2 in size. In , Decathlon opened a training center in Lille. In November , Decathlon acquired Bergfreunde , an online specialist retailer for mountain sports, climbing, and outdoor equipment. In July , Decathlon reported its investment Recyc'Elit, a start-up specialized in the chemical recycling of polyester textiles and complex PET plastics.
Decathlon is vertically integrated , designing and developing its own products and marketing under its more than 85 brands , with each sport, and often sub-sports and sports groups, having their own. In March , the company launched a simplified brand portfolio consisting of category specialist brands and expert brands.
Decathlon became an official partner of the Paris Olympic and Paralympic Games. As of May , Decathlon operated 1, Decathlon stores worldwide in nearly 1, cities and 65 countries. The first store in Tunisia opened in November in Tunis. In early, Decathlon stores were opened in both Ghana and South Africa.
In April , the company announced it would open its first store in Kyiv , Ukraine, in the first months of In , the company opened stores in Ireland; [ 78 ] Vietnam; [ 79 ] Bangladesh ; Malta ; and Serbia. The first store in Kazakhstan was opened in in Almaty. Now there are 2 stores in the country. In November , the first Decathlon store opened in Riga, Latvia.
