According to investigative media site Disclose, French sporting goods retailer Decathlon has secretly continued to sell clothes in Russia despite its official announcement on March 29, 2022, that it was ending its activities in the country due to the war in Ukraine.
In October of this year, Decathlon sold its 60 Russian stores to Desport, but – according to the report, which cites internal company documents, open-source videos and statements from former employees – the retailer has continued to supply the Russian market with products of its flagship brands Quechua, Wedze and Kalenji. The “secret project,” as described by Disclose, has allegedly been carried out via a shell company in Dubai and a subsidiary in Singapore.
In the wake of these allegations, Decathlon issued a press release stating that “since October 2023, Decathlon no longer operates any stores, employs any staff, nor holds any stake in businesses in the Russian Federation.”
Decathlon explained that while transferring all of its operations and assets in Russia to ARM, which owns the Desport brand, it also agreed to supply a limited quantity of products for a limited period in order “to support the buyer in the launch of its new operations, thereby preserving the jobs of former teammates.” This was done “in accordance with current local and international regulations,” the company said.
