BY BESTENIGAR KARA
The France-based international sporting goods retailer Decathlon reached a net sales volume of TRY 7.7bn last year. The company plans to maintain its growth in Turkiye with an affordable price strategy.
The French sports brand has filled the gap in outdoor sports clothing and equipment in Turkiye after it expanded into the country, according to Oyku Pamuk Dolanbay, CMO of Decathlon Turkiye. “Outdoor sports are expensive sports which everyone cannot access. The interest in these sports increased after the Decathlon penetrated the Turkish market, and people started to discover our products,” Dolanbay said. “Decathlon will continue to have accessible product prices.”
Decathlon expanded into Turkiye in 2006 for production towards exports at the first stage. The company, which launched its headquarters in Istanbul in 2009, currently operates 47 stores in 18 cities with 2,307 employees. The international sportswear and equipment retailer manufactures at its production plants in different provinces, from Bursa to Van and from Cankiri to Gaziantep. “21.4% of our products at our stores are manufactured at our facilities in Turkiye. We also export some of the output produced in our facilities in Turkiye to other countries where Decathlon operates,” Dolanbay noted.
Decathlon’s global net sales and profit amounted to EUR 15bn and EUR 931m, respectively, in 2023, when it sold 1.19 billion products. Its subsidiary Decathlon Turkiye’s net sales and profit totaled TRY 7.7bn and TRY 425m, respectively. Decathlon Turkiye’s product sales hit 34 million units last year. Dolanbay emphasized that Decathlon Turkiye ranks third in the French company’s global operation in terms of growth figures. “We do our best to maintain accessible prices in an inflationary environment. That’s why our production in Turkiye is critical,” he added.
TO CONTINUE TO GROW IN TURKIYE
According to Dolanbay, Turkiye is a valuable country in Decathlon’s global operation thanks to its young population and increasing interest in sports. Within this frame, Decathlon Turkiye plans to maintain its growth in the country by increasing the number of new stores and employment. Online sales account for 30% of the firm’s total sales. “We’ll raise this figure more.”
TOUCHES 2 MILLION CHILDREN
This year, Decathlon Turkiye acquired the naming rights of the ‘Turkiye’s Fastest Athletic Competition’ organized by the Turkish Athletic Federation. “Decathlon Turkiye’s Fastest Athletic Competition’, which will take place in 79 cities, started with the Provincial Championships in May and continues with the Regional Championships. The Turkiye Championship began on June 13. The five girls and five boys who were the champions in the Turkey Finals will be entitled to a four-day trip to France in August.
