Changing shopper habits hurt growth: Decathlon

NEW DELHI: French mass sporting goods retailer Decathlon said the past four quarters have been tough in terms of revenue as it grapples with changing shopping habits and customer behaviour.

In 2023-24, Decathlon India posted profit of Rs 197 crore on revenue of Rs 4,066 crore. The company is yet to declare its FY25 results, but the numbers are expected to be flat due to the slowdown.

“Last four quarters have been tough as the behaviour of customers are also changing. We have moved to single digit growth from double digits, but the product portfolio we have in India will help us improve revenue,” said Sankar Chatterjee, chief executive officer, Decathlon India.


The company said that its target to scale local sourcing from India to $3 billion by 2030 will be accelerated once a free trade agreement (FTA) on the line of India-UK is finalised with the European Union (EU).

Currently, India accounts for 8% of Decathlon's global sourcing quantities, with a goal to scale this to 15% by 2030, which will make India one of the top three sourcing market for the brand.

This growth in sourcing will be driven by a push in high-potential categories such as footwear, fitness equipment, and technical textiles to meet the demands of both Indian consumers and global markets.

Decathlon produces goods worth $400-450 million in India and is expected to grow that number by 10-15% every year.

Chatterjee said the brand is in talks with the Indian government to allow them to sell other brands. Indian government doesn’t allow foreign companies to sell multiple brands under one roof; it however allows them to sell multiple products under a single brand.

“We are still talking and hope that the government listens,” he said.