This article is from the Australian Property Journal archive
THE Australian retail landscape is set for a game changer from left field, with France’s global sporting goods retailer Decathlon announcing plans for 100 stores nationwide.
A 3,800sqm flagship site in Sydney’s Tempe, next door to Ikea, will become Decathlon’s first outlet Down Under in October.
A Melbourne store is slated to open next before a long-term plan of rolling out 100 big-box stores of between 3,000sqm and 4,000sqm.
The retailer began with a store in Lille, France, in 1976 and has since grown to more than 1,200 stores in 30 countries throughout Europe, the United Kingdom, South America and Asia.
It has annual sales of A$15 billion and last year went live with its Australian website.
Decathlon offers more than 7,000 different sporting and outdoor clothing and goods products, including its own exclusive bands. It will also bring to the market its typically lower prices than competitors, setting itself up to be a major player in the sector and competing against Super Retail Group’s Rebel Sport, Amart, Rays and BCF.
Mid-price departments stores such as Target and Kmart are likely to be affected by its introduction.
Decathlon Australia chief executive officer Olivier Robinet said the Australia was an attractive market partly because it has some of the world’s most active people.
“Our priority is to offer a low-cost product that matches up to the big-name brand competitors in quality,” he said.
Decathlon also has development and research teams across France that register up to 40 patents each year.
The entry of Decathlon comes as US giant TJX Companies opened 35 stories, under its TK Maxx brand.
Meanwhile US retail behemoth Amazon has already hired 1,000 people ahead of its entry. Amazon is believed to have secured a new purpose-built warehouse at the Goodman Group’s $50 million Oakdale Industrial Estate in Sydney’s Eastern Creek.
Australian Property Journal
