Decathlon opens first small-scale 'City' store in Ixelles

Sports retailer Decathlon is testing out a new concept in Ixelles with the opening of its first compact city-centre store.

Decathlon has been a feature of Belgium’s shopping scene since it entered the country in 1997, with 33 stores now across Brussels, Wallonia and Flanders.

The first smaller-scale Decathlon City recently opened on Chaussée d'Ixelles, near Porte de Namur.

Unlike the other large stores, the concept responds more to the needs of city dwellers. Notably, a feature already present in UK shops, this Decathlon includes an emergency repair service for bicycles.

The shop is also the first new branch of the sports chain in five years. Unlike the megastores, the city concept has a smaller surface area and a more limited range aimed at city residents.

With cycling becoming more popular, the store’s repair service will be a boon. The company said it wanted to respond to “the acute shortage of bicycle repair shops in Brussels” or perhaps not the lack of options, but the difficulty of getting simple repairs done quickly. Some shops still require online bookings for a simple puncture repair.

To make this venture a success, and to hire enough bike mechanics, Decathlon has set up a special academy to train staff.

The new store concept is based around five sports categories that “connect with city life”: running and hiking; urban mobility; sportswear; swimming; and fitness and well-being. Seasonal products are also offered, such as ski clothes in winter and beachwear in summer.

Founded by Michel Leclercq in 1976, Decathlon’s first shop was in Lille, France. The successful sports chain expanded abroad to Germany in 1986, Spain in 1992, Italy in 1993, Belgium in 1997 and to Portugal and the UK in 1999. Canada and Serbia, in 2019, are the most recent countries to have joined the Decathlon family.