Decathlon in Italia is opening up to franchising

A change of pace in Decathlon Italia’s development strategy. The subsidiary is opening up to franchising and aims to open 91 medium to large-sized shops across Italia by 2030. Alongside its own-brand stores, the multinational is accelerating its expansion with two new formats, Essential and Seasonal, to reach new customer bases and build closer ties with enthusiasts. For Decathlon, franchising is not a new model: it has in fact been used for around twenty years in various international markets, particularly in countries where local conditions made development through a direct network more challenging. Today, however, the outlook is changing: franchising is also being introduced in European markets where Decathlon already has an established presence. A hybrid model will be created, in which directly-operated and franchised stores can coexist and work together to promote sport and develop the brand. “Italia is a country made up of regions that are very different from one another in terms of size, characteristics and sporting cultures. Franchising offers us the chance to better cater for this diversity, adapting our presence to local specificities and creating new opportunities to bring sport ever closer to people’s everyday lives,” said Massimo Trabattoni, Country Franchising Leader at Decathlon Italia.

Decathlon has identified 91 potential sites for the development of its new network, spread across all Italian regions, to be established over the next four years. The project focuses on two types of location: areas with a catchment area of around 100,000–120,000 inhabitants, reachable within 20 minutes, and tourist destinations characterised by strong seasonality and a specific sporting focus. The network will be developed progressively in collaboration with a select number of partners who, over time, will come to manage multiple stores.

Two formats are planned: ‘Essential’ will cover an area of around 1,000 square metres and will be aimed primarily at town centres and urban areas where Decathlon does not yet have a presence. The product range may be generalist in nature or more focused on the sports most commonly practised in the local area. Seasonal, on the other hand, will have a floor area of approximately 200 to 500 square metres and will be aimed at seaside and mountain tourist destinations, with its offering tailored to seasonal visitor flows. The product range and services will be tailored to the characteristics of the location, ranging from winter and outdoor sports to cycling and water sports.

Decathlon is now seeking entrepreneurs who, in addition to financial stability and the ability to develop multiple retail outlets, possess in-depth knowledge of the local area and a strong connection to the world of sport. The aim is to make the franchisee not merely a shop manager, but a partner capable of understanding the needs of the local sporting community. The product range will also reflect this balance between Decathlon’s identity and local characteristics: at least 70 per cent of the range will consist of Decathlon-branded products, whilst up to 20 per cent may include international brands already featured in the Group’s catalogue. The remaining 10 per cent may be selected by the franchisee, in accordance with criteria defined by Decathlon, to meet the specific needs of the local area. Franchise stores will adopt the same visual identity guidelines, layout, tools and service standards as the company-owned network. The transfer of know-how will also be central: in the period leading up to and immediately following the opening, the teams at the new stores will be supported by those from the company-owned stores, with the aim of instilling Decathlon’s corporate culture and values, as well as key operational skills. This process will be complemented by an ongoing training programme covering products, services and skills. This is an essential element of the relationship with each partner, who is called upon to contribute to the company’s ambition of making sport accessible to as many people as possible.

In addition, the new shops will also be able to offer services from the Decathlon ecosystem, including a repair service, equipment hire, membership schemes, gift cards and online order collection. Equipment hire will play a particularly important role in the Seasonal formats: for example, it will be possible to book equipment online before setting off and collect it directly from the shop at the holiday destination.