The Decathlon brand was born in 1976 in Englos, a small town in northern France. From the beginning, it was dedicated to the sale and distribution of sports equipment, and today they have clothing or items for absolutely all sports practiced in the world.
It currently has more than 1,300 stores in 57 countries and many own brands that are a hallmark of the chain and also a guarantee of quality. In Spain, there are 170 Decathlon stores, while the country with the most is France, with 355, which is logical given its country of origin. China also stands out, where there are currently 222 stores, while in the United States there are 4.
Paving the Way in Eco-Design
In 2020, Decathlon was recognized by the non-profit organization CDP as a member of the Supplier Engagement Leaderboard for supporting the fight against climate change in its supply chain.
The company continues its commitment to sustainability as a key component of its business model. This is a transversal element in the design, conception, and production process of any of its products, as well as in everything related to distribution, including its stores.
In this sense, the company's objective is to carry out its activity in a sustainable way and respect the “natural playing field” that is nature. To transfer this commitment to its production processes, in 2007 Decathlon opted for eco-design, a way to stop working with materials with a high environmental impact and encourage the use of recycled and renewable materials.
Since then, the company has put on sale almost 4,000 eco-designed items that contribute to caring for the planet. In terms of materials, Decathlon began supporting the Better Cotton Initiative in 2012, and so sources its 100% organic cotton to this day.
As a firm believer in circular apparel, Decathlon gives a second life to the products you no longer use through Decathlon Ocasión and the social initiative cooperative Koopera.
In addition, the choice of innovative and sustainable processes is also present in the distribution of its products, such as the use of liquefied natural gas trucks that it launched in 2018, which has significantly reduced carbon dioxide emissions.