French retail and product giant Decathlon has announced the creation of Decathlon Pulse, a wholly-owned subsidiary “dedicated to building new long-term growth engines, accelerating Decathlon’s ambition to Move People Through the Wonders of Sport.”
To expand its footprint, the new subsidiary will explore new avenues in the sports and wellness market, which the company believes offers great growth opportunities. As an independent entity within the group, Decathlon Pulse will invest in “innovative people and businesses” that share the company’s values and commitment. Particular attention will be paid to companies and brands centered around expert sports brands, e-commerce pioneers, circular economy and next-gen sports. The aim is to enable customized win-win synergies “while ensuring the companies we invest in and acquire remain independent and autonomous.” In line with Decathlon’s global strategy, Decathlon Pulse will fully complement the group’s core activities by diversifying its ability to drive and shape change.
Decathlon Pulse will focus on three main levers: Building and scaling ideas and concepts with strong potential to create stand-alone new businesses that complement Decathlon’s core activities and strengthen the Group’s value proposition; investing as a shareholder in highly innovative companies that could transform the sports ecosystem and accelerate the adoption of new sustainable business models; and acquiring strong and forward-thinking sports brands and sporting goods retailers that are changing the game with their revolutionary ideas and disruptive business models.
Since 2018, Decathlon has invested almost 400 million euros in capitalistic partnerships, from investments in start-ups and small companies to the acquisition of majority stakes in premium pure players such as AllTricks and, most recently, Bergfreunde. Decathlon Pulse aims to accelerate this strategic movement through a clear roadmap, independent management and dedicated teams by having the ability, resources and agility to look beyond the current changes and focus on long-term strategic growth.
Franck Vigo has been appointed Chief Executive Officer of the new subsidiary. He started his career at Decathlon in 1989 as a section manager and was later appointed Managing Director of Decathlon France from 2003 to 2008. In 2008, he became Interactive Hub Director of Decathlon Group, managing several business units and e-commerce initiatives. He also served as Secretary General of Decathlon from September 2014 to September 2019, working closely with the family Chairman and leading governance and strategic initiatives. Since 2022, Vigo was Decathlon Alliances and New Business’ Leader, focusing on capitalistic partnerships (VC and M&A) and internal exploration of new business models.
The Pulse team currently comprises 20+ employees from different countries and backgrounds within Decathlon who are “united by a common set of values, passion for sport and a strong motivation to move the world of sport forward.” Barbara Martin Coppola, Decathlon’s Global Chief Executive Officer, will serve as Chair, ensuring complementarity with Decathlon’s core activities.
“Today marks an exciting new journey for us as we launch Decathlon Pulse, driven by a passion for sport and a singular vision to continuously enhance our impact on people’s lives,” commented Vigo. “We believe the best way to do so is to build long-term relationships with game-changing companies and people, in which we invest while maintaining their full autonomy to create a better sports industry.”
