The international sporting goods manufacturer and retailer Decathlon, headquartered in France, can look back on a successful 2023 in Austria. In addition to encouraging increases in employees and sales, there was also growth in the form of another store.
Decathlon celebrated its fifth anniversary in Austria with the opening of its fifth location in the 1100 Columbus shopping center in Vienna. Since September 2023, sports enthusiasts can find equipment and clothing for more than 70 sports in the spacious store near the main train station on almost 2,000 sqm. Gábor Pósfai, Managing Director of Decathlon Austria: “By opening this store in a highly frequented location in the heart of Vienna, we can continue to pursue our mission of making sport accessible to everyone.”
15 percent increase in sales despite higher costs
The sales figures also show that the mission has been well received. Although increased energy and personnel costs are often a challenge and were also clearly noticeable in the previous year, Decathlon recorded a 15 percent increase in sales in its four existing stores in Austria in 2023. If we look at all five Austrian stores, the growth even amounts to 25 percent. With impressive employee growth of 22 percent, Decathlon is also securing 180 jobs in the country five years after opening its first Austrian store in the SCS Park in Vösendorf.
Another store opening in 2024
The sixth Decathlon location in Austria is set to open in June of this year, with 3,000 sqm divided over two floors in the PlusCity shopping center in Pasching near Linz, securing 30 jobs. The sporting goods manufacturer and retailer has thus put its expansion plans into practice: “Austria is a sporty country that attaches great importance to a diverse range of high-quality products at a reasonable price,” commented Pósfai. ”Our entire product range is available throughout Austria via online stores, but at the same time, the stores and local shopping are also important to us step by step.”
In the meantime, Decathlon is also consolidating key partnerships that go beyond pure business. Participation in events such as the Sport Austria Finals and the Freizeitmesse fair in Klagenfurt also underline Decathlon’s importance and influence in the Austrian sports and leisure scene. Decathlon 2024 also reaffirms its mission to make sport accessible to all by supporting the Caritas Cage League. As part of this campaign, free football training sessions and tournaments are organized for children and young people between the ages of eight and 16.
Thriving without discount battles
The last Black Friday marked another extraordinary success story for Decathlon Austria. Contrary to the trend of discount battles, the company deliberately opted for an alternative strategy. Customers were able to order free of shipping costs for the entire Black Friday weekend, which led to a 142 percent increase in orders compared to the previous year. “This remarkable increase shows that you can score points without discount battles and with a combination of top quality and low prices all year round,” said Pósfai. The promotion also applied to large sporting goods such as bicycles and gave Decathlon Austria the third-best sales day in the online store’s history.
