Decathlon (retailer)

Decathlon SE is a French sporting goods retailer founded by Michel Leclercq in 1976. It is the largest sporting goods retailer in the world, with over 2,080 stores in 56 countries and regions.^[1][2] The company manages its research, design, production, logistics, and distribution in-house, partners with global suppliers, and markets its own brands directly to consumers in Decathlon-branded big-box stores.

Decathlon

Company type	Private
Industry	Retail
Founded	1976
Founder	Michel Leclercq
Headquarters	Villeneuve d'Ascq , France

History

Decathlon started with a store in Lille, France,^[3] and expanded abroad to Germany in 1986, Spain in 1992, Italy in 1993, Belgium in 1997,^[4] and many other countries in subsequent years.^[5] The company employs more than 87,000 staff from 80 different nationalities and markets its products under more than 20 brands.^[6] Its research and development facilities are located across France, where the company develops its product designs, registering up to 40 patents per year.^[7] In January 2022, Decathlon named Barbara Martin Coppola as its new global CEO.^[8] Decathlon is an official partner of the Paris 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Games.^[9]