French sports retailer Decathlon has decided to close the only two stores it had left in the United Statesthese were in San Francisco and Emeryville. Since April, Americans will only be able to purchase the brand’s products online.
The decision has not caused surprise, since the brand throughout its history in the country has not obtained very good results, except for its beginnings in this.
Decathlon folds
Decathlon first entered the US market in 1999 when it bought the assets of MVP Sports Stores, a British sporting goods chain that owned 20 stores in the country. After this acquisition, the company renamed the stores to be Decathlon stores. In 2003 the French company closed the first stores.
Years later the brand closed all its stores and it was not until just two years ago, in 2019, when he decided to return to the United States. Opening the two stores that the company has currently decided to close.
Even so, the brand will maintain other sales channels in the country.
Electronic commerce and associations
For decathlon the only way to stay in the United States is to keep your e-commerce. The company launched it in 2008 in the state of California to purchase on other websites, such as on Walmart Y target.
“We are changing our business model to adapt to current market conditions and to better meet the needs of our customers.“, He said CEO of Decathlon USA, Christian Ollier, to SF Chronicle. He has also explained that the French company is obtaining very good results in the United States and that they will continue to form partnerships with other companies in the country to distribute their products.
Decathlon recently appointed a new CEO, Bárbara Martin Coppola, an executive of Spanish nationality who will take up her post in March 2022. For now, they have not presented the financial results for 2021.