April 2024 news: French sports retailer Decathlon (Decathlon) released a performance report showing that last year's revenue was 15.6 billion euros (about 121.36 billion yuan), net profit was 931 million euros, an increase of 1.15% and 0.9% year-on-year, respectively, and the proportion of online sales increased by 0.7 percentage points year-on-year to 17.4%.
According to public information, Decathlon was founded in 1976 and has 1,750 stores in 78 countries and regions around the world, with more than 100,000 employees. It has more than 40 private labels, covering sports shoes, clothing, sporting goods, outdoor products and other fields, involving more than 80 sports, from daily sports such as running, ball games, cycling, to niche sports such as equestrian, paddle boarding, rock climbing, and even extreme sports, you can find the right products in Decathlon.
In 03, Decathlon entered the Chinese market and opened its first branch in Pudong, Shanghai. After more than 20 years of development, it has opened nearly 200 branches. China has become one of the company's top five markets in terms of revenue, and it is also the first overseas market with a full industry chain.
Decathlon, which has almost no marketing and no advertising, is often jokingly called "Straight Men's Paradise", "Poor Ghost Paradise" and "Adult Disney". But when more and more sports brands choose to explore their value, this sports retailer, which is known for its "affordability and diversity", is no longer satisfied with being a "big brand replacement" and wants to change its way of life.
Decathlon first became the official sponsor of the 2024 Paris Olympic Games, and in March this year, while changing the brand logo, it released a new brand strategy "North Star", which classified the products of its different brands into nine sports categories such as outdoor, water, fitness, and equestrian, and set up four separate professional brands VAN RYSEL (road cycling), SIMOND (rock climbing), KIPRUN (running), and SOLOGNAC (hunting).
It can be seen that Decathlon wants to transform from a retailer to a professional sports brand, from the traditional small profit and quick turnover model to the high-end market that pursues higher profit margins. Recently, many netizens have complained on social platforms that Decathlon has quietly increased its price, and related topics have also rushed to the hot search. In the face of the "more expensive" Decathlon, will consumers buy it? It remains to be seen.
When it comes to Decathlon, the Mulliez family behind it is an unavoidable topic. This low-key French family has been passed down to the sixth generation, and according to the 2023 global family wealth ranking released by Bloomberg, the wealth has reached 34.3 billion US dollars (about 248.56 billion yuan), ranking 22nd.
In 1903, the family's founder, Louis Mourièz, founded a small textile mill, Phildar, in the Haute-Champs neighborhood of the northern French city of Roubaix. In the early '60s, Gerard Muriez, the eldest grandson of Louis, decided to start his own business and opened a grocery store, which was the predecessor of Auchan. Decathlon founder Michel Relec is Gerald's cousin, he opened his first store next to Auchan, relying on the huge customer flow, quickly became famous.
It is through continuous attempts and support that the Murièz family has grown bigger and bigger, and now has more than 700 members, and controls more than 10 companies through the Mouriez Family Association (AFM), in addition to Auchan and Decathlon, including the home improvement chain Leroy Merlin, the car repair chain Norauto, the affordable restaurant chain Flunch, the clothing supermarket Kaibi, Home appliance retailer Boulanger, etc., covers almost the daily life of French people. There is a local saying: "In France, for every 100 euros you spend, at least 11 euros are donated to the Mouriez family." ”