Every year, the same story. That of cycling enthusiasts who rack their brains to learn the new names of the professional peloton teams and who, having barely reached their goal, see them change their identity in the process. Some examples: Jumbo-Visma becomes Visma-Lease a Bike, Arkéa swaps Samsic for B & B Hotels and AG2R joins forces with Decathlon to become Decathlon-AG2R La Mondiale.
A priori, this name is here to stay: the co-partnership with the French equipment manufacturer lasts for five years. A deal not quite like the others, because it’s not just about putting your name on the jersey of a World Tour team. Decathlon will also supply bicycles, glasses and helmets to Cosnefroy, Laffay and Bennett via its Van Rysel range, the road cycling equivalent of the Kalenji or Artengo sub-brands, launched in 2019. An obvious choice for Céline Del Génés, global chief customer officer at Decat’. “If we became co-namers of the team, the products we supplied had to be ours. Hence the use of Van Rysel as a team partner, where the competition forms partnerships with other designers, Specialized, Canyon, the list is long.
Tests beforehand
Purists obsessed with KOM Strava at the Longchamp racecourse, most of whom swear by these specialist brands, surely see the agreement with Van Rysel as a weak point. An opinion that Steve Chainel, former runner and consultant for Eurosport, does not share. “Benoît Cosnefroy said last year that he would sign where the equipment was efficient. And he obviously tested the Van Rysel bikes. Having visited the Btwin village two years ago, Decathlon is an ultra-strong group. If it comes to the market, it is with a reliable product, a product designed for performance. »
AG2R obviously did not sign without having carried out tests first. The speech by Nicolas Pierron, director of Van Rysel, demonstrates a certain ambition. “Our engineers and designers set ultra-high standards to achieve ultra-performance. We partner with experts (ONERA, SWISS SIDE) and professional riders to arrive at the starting line with products ready to win. » It will take at least that to convince the purist to let go of his beautiful Pinarello. “It will take a few years before we see them buying Decathlon,” anticipates Steve Chainel.
“Why doesn’t anyone play with your rackets?” »
Experts are always the hardest to convince. Take Gaël Monfils, Artengo’s leading figure since 2022. It was not easy for the Frenchman to go beyond the general public image of Decathlon, whose Artengo range he did not know. “Obviously, at the beginning, you are skeptical,” said the Monf. You say to them, “Why doesn’t anyone play with your rackets?” » The answer lies in Decat’ strategy. It is first a question of reaching the general public, then club practitioners and then, at the top of the pyramid, the very high level.
Artengo being a baby on the circuit compared to the dinosaur Wilson, it is normal that his reputation is to be made. “However,” replies Céline Del Génés, “we have complete legitimacy in all sports. » Gaël Monfils realized this when choosing his new equipment supplier, at the end of 2021. To choose his future racket, the French player asked his agent to organize a blind test with neutral rackets of several different brands. Do you see it coming? Bingo, his heart will lean towards that of Artengo, who will win the jackpot.
“Decathlon has always designed high-quality products and at the same time, we have always been very humble in the way we present our products,” continues Céline Del Génés. Hence perhaps this lack of notoriety or recognition. » To get rid of the “underrated” label, Decathlon is investing more and more at the high level. In tennis, the idea was to have two players in the top 30 in the world by 2024. In sailing, Yannick Bestaven won the Vendée Globe wearing Tribord. In football, the Ligue 1 ball (and soon the Europa League) is a Kipsta, and, according to very recent information from Foot Mercato, Antoine Griezmann could swap Puma for Decathlon, who would enter the crampon market through the very big door, and permanently change caste. “Now, analyzes Frank Rosenthal, trade marketing expert, their competitors are no longer so much Intersport or Sport 2000, but the big equipment manufacturers like Nike and Adidas. »
Behind the rejuvenation of the brand, Monfils, social networks, and even Jul
The aim of these partnerships also lies in feedback and then putting more high-end products on the shelves. “We use these partnerships as co-design accelerators,” explains Céline Del Génés. First there are testing periods with the athletes, the high-level teams. Then we try to bring the product back to its daily use. » Concretely, this leads to the future sale of a pro bike at 10,000 euros (compared to a good €15,000 normally), or, as is already the case, that of Gaël Monfils’ racket (120 euros) .
“At this price,” continues Céline Del Génés, “you won’t find a top-level player’s racket. And yet, it’s Gaël’s. And going to play on Sunday with Monfils’ racket is still nice. » The tennis player also benefits from it: “I find it nice, while I am at the end of my career, to “cool” the brand. »
The process of modernizing the brand image is not limited to high-level sport. Decat’ has also infiltrated the market of streetwear and managed to seduce the rapper Jul. In the middle, you can hardly hit higher.
The Marseillais had caused a down jacket that he wore in the music video for the iconic song to go out of stock Y-shaped. The French brand had played a lot on the networks, having regard, again, to a dusted digital strategy. Yann Amiry, now social media manager, has largely contributed to the rejuvenation of the equipment manufacturer on the networks. “It was six or seven years ago. Social media already existed, but it was very fragmented and it was only a commercial variation of what was being done elsewhere on other advertising levers. I had the chance to rewrite Decathlon’s social media strategy with my partner at the time, almost starting from a blank sheet. » The winning recipe? Valve, expertise and customer relations.
A global change in dimension, but at what cost?
A few spots nevertheless darken the sky blue of Decathlon. Internally, the change in dimension rhymes with “ever more important objectives with fewer and fewer resources” according to Grégory Labrousse, union representative of the CFTC. “Our shareholders distributed 400 million euros in dividends in 2022, the same in 2023, with a drain on reserves of 400 million. It does not contribute to building the brand image. »
No more than the revelations from media Disclose, according to which the French group continued to deliver clothes to the Russian buyer of its stores, notably through a shell company in Dubai. “Since October 2023, Decathlon no longer operates any stores, employs no employees and holds no stake in companies in the Russian Federation,” the brand defended itself via a press release that we were able to consult. As part of its disengagement from the Russian Federation, Decathlon made it a priority to ensure that employment was maintained with the local buyer, for employees who so wished. »
Or those of Sheffield Hallam, whose study warned of the high probability that around forty Western brands – including Decathlon – were selling clothing made from forced Uighur labor. Here again, the French brand reacted: “After verifications, we would like to clarify that no product or component used for the manufacture of Decathlon products comes, directly or indirectly, from the Anhui Huamao company. Our suppliers, including Shahi, source the components used in the manufacture of our products from identified and listed fabric and yarn suppliers.”