Decathlon Changing Company Name

VILLENEUVE D’ASCQ, France – Decathlon is changing its corporate name. Europe’s largest sporting goods retailer’ new name will be Oxylane which symbolizes men and women (after their X and Y chromosomes). With the new name Decathlon is also founding a new organization for the development of new products and brands for the world market.

According to the trade publication for the sporting goods sector, Sporting Goods Intelligence, Decathlon will still function as Europe’s biggest sporting goods seller, including bikes.

In 2007 Decathlon revenues grew by 11.7% percent to € 4,476 million before VAT. The company scored much better results than in 2006 when its turnover only increased by 6.9% and in France even dropped 1%. 2007 same-store sales was up 7.5%.

32 More stores

France is still Decathlon’s biggest market accounting for 45.5% of the total turnover. Here sales were up 6.9% while its store network was enlarged by 11 outlets to a total of 235. Currently Decathlon operates 405 stores in Europe; up 32 on the 2006 total. Five new stores were opened in Spain where the French company is now also the biggest sporting goods retailer with a total of 57 outlets.

In Italy there are currently 46 Decathlon stores; up 9 on the 2006 total. In China Decathlon now has 14 stores and in Portugal 10. In Belgium and Germany there are 8 stores each and in Poland 7; in the UK and Hungary 6; Poland 7; Brazil 4 and in the Netherlands and Russia 2.

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