Desport, the Russian company that took over Decathlon stores following the French retailer’s exit from Russia, has largely restored the former Decathlon product range to its shelves, according to Dmitry Strakhov, Desport’s General Director, in an interview with local news outlet Lenta.
Decathlon suspended its operations in Russia in the summer of 2022, primarily due to the collapse of the logistics chain that had ensured a steady supply of sporting goods to local stores. Strakhov noted that it took more than a year to rebuild this supply chain and establish new contracts with factories worldwide that manufacture goods for Decathlon.
“The company is the successor of Decathlon in Russia but now liaises with suppliers of goods directly. Thanks to this, Desport can maintain competitive prices,” Strakhov told Lenta. Additionally, Desport is developing its own brands, considering Russian consumers’ knowledge and the specific weather conditions the team has learned over 18 years of operation in the country. Desport has established contracts with suppliers from China, Vietnam, Uzbekistan, Pakistan and Russia. “In Asian countries, many manufacturers work with Decathlon. We use the same production sites that Decathlon uses to produce our own brands,” Strakhov revealed.
Interestingly, the number of Russian sporting goods suppliers has increased from just a few dozen during Decathlon’s operation to 200 today. Desport has also managed to retain much of Decathlon’s team, with around 80 percent of the workers at its Moscow headquarters being former Decathlon employees.
Strakhov emphasized that Desport continues to uphold Decathlon’s high-quality standards while significantly changing its product range. The company is particularly focused on expanding its winter sports segment, an area that was challenging for Decathlon due to its traditional presence in warmer countries.
Desport also aims to extend its reach to the eastern regions of Russia, specifically targeting the Urals and Siberia, as almost all Decathlon stores operated in the more densely populated European part of the country. Furthermore, the company is preparing to launch an online store to provide delivery services to cities where it currently has no physical presence.
The pricing strategy at Desport differs from that of Decathlon. “Russians are forced to spend increasingly more money on daily needs. Desport understands this very well because we know our customers better than the French retailer and try to make goods more affordable,” Strakhov stated, adding that their prices are “significantly lower than those of our main competitors.”
