Everybody loves Decathlon
Why is Decathlon everyone's favourites sports brand? Maybe it isn't about sports...
The more stores became online, I started navigating to physical stores. Websites are great, shopping online is easy, convenient and incredibly time saving but tbh that isn’t the purpose of shopping (for me).
The first time I visited decathlon was ~6yrs ago in Mumbai and I was surprised to see how spacious the store layout was. In Mumbai, space = luxury but decathlon defied that, it was affordable.
What I find fascinating about Decathlon is that one doesn't have to be a sports or fitness enthusiast for them to visit and shop at Decathlon and that I think is this brands biggest victory.
You could go there to try a cycle, buy comfortable clothes or shoes and you might end up just picking up a new sport or get into a fitness routine. Could be badminton, or a jump rope. Because it is all available to try!
Biggest plus?
Non-intimidating staff, may I add who are incredibly friendly and know their stuff. I have visited other sporting brand shops (dare I name them?) but have always felt intimated, felt like I didn’t belong there. I am not athletic and you can tell (this is also why so many of us shop online) but decathlon is inclusive (truly) and very non-judgmental.
I do strength train now and run (albeit irregularly) but still I picked up my workout equipment and clothes from decathlon. It is one of the few stores that makes comfortable and good looking clothes for ++ size, curvy women.
There was never a visit to the store where I went and came back just buying one thing, this could be a personal problem but I am sure I am not the only one.
Excellent return/exchange policy: you could return and exchange something for the same value and not the same item, which many stores don’t offer.
It was truly one of the stores I missed during the lockdowns and not the mention the trampolines they have for children, which means one gets to shop in peace, parents of young children (even older) will understand this!
If you want a spacious store, with non-intimidating staff, that also has a whole suite of sporting and fitness equipment for all levels, for affordable prices, with a reasonable exchange policy- you know where to go!