Lille, France: French sports activities retailer Decathlon is accelerating its investments to ramp up manufacturing and improve its retail presence additional in India, one in all its ‘most vital’ world markets, its Global CEO Barbara Martin Coppola has mentioned.

Decathlon expects to proceed its ‘excessive development price’ from the Indian market, which can also be rising as an vital manufacturing hub for the sports activities retailer, from the place it at present exports round 65 per cent of manufacturing to world markets, she added.

For Decathlon, India is at present among the many prime ten world markets, rising ‘twice the speed’ of others, the place it entered in 2009 and now operates a community of 129 shops, she mentioned.

Coppola mentioned she is ‘actually impressed’ with the evolution of the sports activities tradition in India, particularly among the many center class, which is step by step getting engaged in several sorts of sports activities, amid an increase of their earnings degree with the expansion of the financial system.

“We see a real appetite for overall sports consumption, people wanting to try new experiences. And to be honest, there is an energy that is just beautiful to see at the stores… for Decathlon, (India) for sure is one of the major markets,” Coppola instructed PTI in an interplay.

Over investments in India, Coppola mentioned Decathlon has plans to speed up native manufacturing in addition to native sourcing and increase its sports activities retail gross sales community.

“I cannot comment on investment but we are accelerating. We are not only accelerating presence in India from a retail perspective but also from the production perspective,” she mentioned, including “India is the most important market for Decathlon. We expect to continue the high growth.”

When requested concerning the outlook and position India may play in Decathlon’s world operations, Coppola mentioned it’s ‘a serious nation’ for the French sporting items retailer.

“It’s a powerhouse in digital and to be honest, I am inspired by the creativity of the production, the experiences, which makes it interesting for the world,” she mentioned, including “I am very impressed by the know-how, which has been acquired progressively.”

Manufacturing of bikes isn’t straightforward and India is now manufacturing it. It can also be manufacturing backpacks, tents to textiles and this vary would proceed to extend, she added.

Decathlon has plans to extend the native sourcing to 85 per cent within the subsequent two years of the sports activities items offered in India from the current 60 per cent.

‘Currently 65 per cent of what’s produced in India (by Decathlon) is exported. That half would develop larger and proceed to develop,’ Coppola added.

When requested about Decathlon’s development driver in India, she mentioned there are various factors. Now general society is stepping into sports activities.

Earlier, solely 5 per cent of the Indian inhabitants was collaborating in sports activities, nevertheless, now that is having a excessive development with the adoption of various sports activities.

“This has especially become popular in the middle class,” Coppola mentioned, including there are extra avenues for sporting additionally in India.

This can also be helped by elements equivalent to an increase in earnings, resulting in ‘extra wealth, extra spending on sports activities and leisure’.

“Now India has more unicorns, experiences and know-how that exist in the ecosystem of India, there are fantastic opportunities and sports is one of the industries, which is exploding. There would be many more,” she added.

Decathlon’s app clocked practically 29 million downloads in India, Coppola mentioned, including that the model has been in a position to supply ‘top-of-the-line omni-channel experiences’, which incorporates not solely promoting sports activities items but in addition providing house for sports-related actions at its shops.

Decathlon, which is the official companion of the Paris 2024 Olympics, could be delighted if India will get an opportunity to host this main worldwide multi-sport occasion, mentioned Coppola.

The Indian authorities is bidding to host the Olympics in 2036.

Decathlon entered India in 2009 as a cash-and-carry retailer and was permitted for single-brand retail in 2013 by the federal government.

For the monetary 12 months ended March 31, 2023, Decathlon India’s gross sales had been at Rs 3,995 crore, registering a 37 per cent development.