Sports goods chain Decathlon strides into Chennai

At first glance the metal sheet structure looks like any other warehouse . But once inside, you are greeted by row upon row of shelves running over an area large enough to accommodate 10 tennis courts.

The shelves are stocked with equipment covering over 40 indoor, outdoor and adventure sports. Also on offer are accessories for snorkelling, horse riding, cycling and, of course, cricket and football. This is French multinational sports-goods chain Decathlon’s first store in Chennai, located at Mevalurkuppam, a hamlet 30 km outside the city.

Children cycle down the aisles or try out skateboards in a fenced off enclosure. In another part of the store, a salesman sets up a tent for a potential customer.

Explaining the concept, Antoine Algrain, Store Manager, Decathlon Sports India, says: Whether you are buying a dartboard, archery set, cycle or tent, we want you to “try it before you buy it”. Located on the Bangalore Highway (NH4), the store is spread over 22,000 sq ft of shopping area, 5,000 sq ft of playgrounds and a 150-car parking lot.

Decathlon typically follows this large format and sets up shop on the outskirts of large cities. It has over 725 stores in 20 countries. In India, it already has stores in Bengaluru, Hyderabad and Coimbatore.

“Before we set up shop here, we had a database of over 4,000 Chennaiites who shopped at our stores in Bengaluru,” says Algrain.

A unique feature of the retail chain is that it designs and manufactures sports equipment under its own brands, which number over a dozen. More than half the products are made in India, which is important to keep prices low. The prices vary with the range from products for beginners and going up to the professional level.

About Decathlon’s delayed entry in Chennai, Algrain says: “Space is a concern. Land prices are quite high in Chennai and it took time to get the ideal location and lease the plot”.

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