Apart from cricket, which is said to be a religion here, India is not a great sporting nation. At the Paris 2024 Olympic Games, which took place from July 26 to August 11, the country of 1.4 billion people won only six medals and not a single gold. However, over the past fifteen years, Decathlon’s blue and white brands have proliferated throughout the region. The French company, which arrived in India in 2009, has developed a network of 129 stores and today employs 5,700 people.
“The size of the sports market is expanding, and the number of sports activities is constantly increasing, driven by the growing participation and enthusiasm among Indians”argues Sankar Chatterjee, CEO, Decathlon Sports India. “With an increasing focus on fitness and well-being, especially among young people, the potential for growth is immense”the manager continues. According to the market research company Euromonitor, the sportswear market in India is valued between 8,000 and 9,000 million dollars, or between 7,200 and 8,200 million euros, and that of sporting goods, between 2,000 and 3,000 million dollars. Most estimates suggest 12% to 15% annual growth.
Decathlon has conquered the non-sports masses thanks to its attractive prices, compared to other large foreign brands. “I go to Decathlon to buy t-shirts, pants, but also comfortable and cheap shoes”explains Ramesh Bisht, a convinced customer. In 2023, the French brand’s sales increased by 37%, driven by demand for sportswear and sports equipment outside of cricket and football.
Strategy based on convenience stores
“I didn’t know that Decathlon was a French company because a lot of clothes are made in India”Bisht emphasizes. Around 68% of sales made by the brand in India come from locally made products and this proportion is expected to increase to 85% by 2026. Currently, almost 8% of items sold by the French distributor worldwide the world are products in India, including all cricket bats, accessories and most hockey equipment.
Decathlon has announced an investment of 100 million euros in India in five years, where it plans to increase the number of its stores to 190. The sports brand, already well established in large urban centers, now wants to attack medium-sized cities, such as Shivamogga (Karnataka, southwest), Gwalior (Madhya Pradesh, central) and Rajahmundry (Andhra Pradesh, southwest east).
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