Decathlon sets up in Thailand

By

Olivier Guyot

Published
Oct 23, 2015

Decathlon's ambitions in Asia aren't limited to China and India alone. In the year 2558 (!), as indicated on the retailer's Thai website, Decathlon will open its first stores in Thailand. The French group hasn't planned this expansion to take place over five centuries! In the Buddhist calendar, the year 2558 corresponds to 2015.

On 22nd October the French retail group inaugurated its first Decathlon store in Bangkok. The sporting goods distribution giant has been manufacturing articles in Thailand for the last twenty years or so but, except for a retail outlet in the capital, the group had yet to establish stores locally.

This opening, on the Lotus tower's second level in the Bangna retail district, in the eastern part of the city, is only the first step. Between now and the end of November, Decathlon will cover Bangkok with stores  between 1,700 and 2,700 m2 in size, in the neighbourhoods of Khlong Toei (central), Bang Khen (North) et Bueng Kum (North-East). For each store Decathlon is working with the Tesco-Lotus network, which is present in all of the country's cities.

Decathlon's Thai stores feature exclusively the retailer's favourite brands, and are managed by group employees hailing from Belgium, China, Romania, Poland and Russia. The subsidiary is run by Frédéric Bichet who, after managing a Decathlon store in Clermont Ferrand, France, took on managerial responsibilities at Decathlon Sports India.