Decathlon to open first running-focused store in Bordeaux

Decathlon is keen to carve out a larger slice of the pie in the increasingly popular running products segment. On May 14, the French sporting goods retailer will open its first store entirely dedicated to running, in central Bordeaux. The 160-square-metre store, as reported by Le Bonbon, is located at 49 rue Sainte-Catherine, a busy shopping street, next door to the Citadium department store on Promenade Sainte-Catherine.

In the new store, Decathlon, owned by French family Mulliez, will sell some of its proprietary brands, like Kiprun and Kalenji, and several third-party brands specialised in running products, like Hoka, Brooks, Asics, Saucony, Mizuno and Salomon, according to the information sheet published on the Decathlon e-shop. Alongside shoes, the store will also sell running apparel, like T-shirts, tops, shorts and leggings, and will feature a gait analysis device to better advise customers. Not to mention nutritional supplements and connected devices.

The Decathlon Running store adds to the already significant presence the sport retailer has in Bordeaux and its outskirts: the Decathlon City store at 130 rue Sainte-Catherine, targeted at urban consumers, plus four addresses just outside the city, at Bordeaux Lac, Bègles, Mérignac and Bouliac.

After presenting a new store design in early 2024, including a revamped logo, Decathlon has taken another step towards further retail diversification with Decathlon Running, a format that is set to be replicated. Decathlon recently made a major senior management reshuffle, appointing Julien Leclercq as president and Javier Lopez as managing director. The group posted a flat result in fiscal 2024 in France (with a revenue of €4.73 billion), despite the Paris Olympics. Global sales instead grew by 5.2% to €16.2 billion.

The running products market in France grew by a notable 10% between 2023 and 2024, to a value of €1.2 billion, according to annual estimates drawn up by the Union Sport et Cycle. Last year, nine million pairs of running shoes were sold in France, equivalent to a 21% year-on-year increase. The average price in this shoe category has been gradually increasing in recent years, growing by €26 since 2019.