The French sportswear and accessories chain Decathlon reached an unprecedented milestone in the country: its first store in Argentina, located in the Al Río complex in Vicente López, became the number one store in global sales during its first two weekends, far exceeding initial targets and establishing itself as the most successful opening in the company's global ecosystem.
Ten days after the opening, the store "keeps an exceptional flow of visitors" and continues to record unmatched performance, according to Grupo One, the company that brought the brand to the country. "The store once again ranked number one in global sales, reaffirming its leadership within Decathlon's global ecosystem," the company explained.
The opening, held on Saturday the 8th of this month, marked a turning point for the brand in Latin America. From the afternoon before the event, lines exceeding 3,000 people began to form, and by 9 a.m. on the opening day, more than 10,000 visitors had already arrived.
The store has 3,000 square meters (32,292 square feet), a capacity for 700 people, and an offering of more than 5,000 products for 65 sports disciplines. The business group noted that "sales in the first week doubled the expected targets, far exceeding initial projections," and highlighted that the customer flow "has remained steady since day one."
The extraordinary performance even required "accelerating the hiring of new staff, expanding the team ahead of schedule."
Who is behind Decathlon's arrival
The brand entered Argentina through Grupo One, made up of businessman Manuel Antelo (50%) and Sabine Mulliez, great-niece of the chain's founder and member of the historic Mulliez family, one of the wealthiest in France, who shares the partnership with her husband, Argentine Pedro Aguirre Saravia.
According to early reports, the launch is already shaping up to be a success story within the brand's global expansion strategy, which has a presence in more than 70 countries.
The most in-demand products included:
Quechua 10-liter backpacks
Folding tables for outdoor activities
Men's and women's sports shorts
Basic fitness socks and t-jerseys
Although many of the most affordable items had high turnover, the market was surprised by the prices. Despite Grupo One having anticipated a price difference of approximately 20% compared to Chile—and even more for some products compared to the United States—, the store still positioned itself as the most successful in the world.
Some comparisons:
Paddle racket
