Decathlon to open Philippines store, assessing Canada

By

Marion Deslandes

Translated by
Nicola Mira

Published
Dec 19, 2016

French sporting goods retailer Decathlon is set to open in the Philippines in 2017, and is targeting a possible opening in Canada's Quebec region.

Strengthening its Asian presence, the French sporting goods retailer has set up shop in Thailand and Malaysia in 2015 and 2016, and will soon take its first steps in the Philippines. The brand will open its first store there and will launch its Philippine e-shop during the summer of 2017. The store will be located within the Festival Mall shopping centre in Alabang, not far from the Philippines' capital, Manila.

The French retailer is also assessing the feasibility of launching in Canada, where the sporting goods market is rather mature, especially the outdoors sector. "We are carrying out a market survey in Canada, as in other countries, with a view to a potential deployment there," the retailer has cautiously indicated. 

Quebec daily paper La Presse went further, stating that Decathlon hopes to open its first store in Quebec in the spring of 2018. "Decathlon intends to open a first test store, which will have to be profitable in order for [the group] to take the decision to open several stores in the province," stated Sylvain Charron, a broker who has reportedly been asked by the French group to find local premises of 3,000 m2 to 4,500 m2.

In 2015, Decathlon generated a revenue of €9.1 billion, 65% of which was from outside France.