SAN FRANCISCO (BRAIN) — Decathlon says it will focus on its online business in the U.S., as well as sales through retail partners, after closing its two trial retail locations in the Bay Area.
Based in France, Decathlon claims to be the world's largest sporting goods retailer, and offers its house brand products in most categories, including bikes. It opened a trial "lab" retail location in San Francisco in 2018 and a full-sized store in Emeryville and another in Potrero the following year.
The company said it will close the stores this year.
"Decathlon products continue to be available throughout the U.S. at Decathlon.com and at select retail partners, including Walmart, Curated, Target and more. Each partner is carefully selected to ensure they best align with Decathlon's mission and goals," the company said.
"We are changing our business model to adapt to current market conditions and to better meet the needs of our customers," said Christian Ollier, the CEO of Decathlon USA. "It's clear that our products are well-received in the U.S. market — and we've seen record growth over the last few years. However, in order to grow in the right way, we need to adapt and pave the way for the Decathlon of the future. While we will be closing physical stores at this time, our products are available online at Decathlon.com and at a growing number of retail partners.
"We are committed to making sports and the outdoors more accessible with quality, affordable products. This pivot will open the doors to making our products even more available for our customers throughout the U.S."
