What It Does: The company manages the research, design, production, logistics and distribution of its products in the house; partners with global suppliers; and markets its own brands directly to consumers in Decathlon-branded big-box stores.

Mission: To sustainably make the pleasure and benefits of sport accessible to the many.

Size & Presence: We are at 65 stores spread across India with further expansion plans with a workforce of 4500+ employees.

Best Known For:  World's largest sporting goods retailer second. 

The Good Bits: Decathlon offers job security and a flexible environment to work.

Decathlon Story

Decathlon is a French sporting goods retailer. With over 1697 stores in 60 countries and regions (2020), it is the largest sporting goods retailer in the world. Founded by Michel Leclercq in 1976, Decathlon started with a store in Lille, France. Its holding company was formerly known as Oxylane.

The company expanded abroad a decade later: to Germany in 1986, Spain in 1992, Italy in 1993, Belgium in 1997, Portugal, the United Kingdom in 1999, Brazil in 2001, China in 2003, India in 2009, Turkey[8] and the Czech Republic in 2010, Taiwan in 2012, Hong Kong in 2013, Malaysia and Singapore in 2016, South Africa, Philippines and Indonesia in 2017 in South Korea and Australia in 2018, and Canada in 2019. The company employs more than 87,000 staff from 80 different nationalities.

The retailer stocks a wide range of sporting goods, from tennis rackets to advanced scuba diving equipment, usually in large, big-box superstores averaging 4,000m2 in size. Decathlon Group markets its products under more than 20 brands Its research and development facilities are located across France, where the company develops its product designs, registering up to 40 patients per year. In January 2022, Decathlon named Ingka group's chief digital officer, Barbara Martin Coppola, as its new global chief executive officer.

Culture & Vibe

• I make no concession when it comes to people’s safety, internally and externally.
•  We recruit passionate sportspeople who are full of vitality, who are helpful & practical and who are ‘stronger than we
• are.
•  I act responsibly to have a social and environmental positive impact.
•  From my first day, I am responsible for a measurable mission for which I am accountable and that I debrief during my
• monthly meeting.
•  I am not alone. I am part of a collective with whom I work and to whom I report regularly.
•  I make decisions about the topics that I am concerned with and I measure the consequences.
•  I have the right to make mistakes. Every day is a new starting line.
•  I have a fulfilling and interesting job (that I am responsible for from A to Z) and I am trained to develop my skills to be
• the best in my job.
•  We build relationships based on trust.
•  We play sports and celebrate victories together.
•  We encourage internal promotion and zig-zag career paths.
•  We share the created value(s) - Human/Environmental/Economic

Recruitment Process

• Online Application
• GD round 
• Physical Fitness trial
• PI round
• Offer

Benefits

• Decathlon Shareholding Scheme
• Cycle to Work Scheme
• Hussle
• 30% Staff Discount
• Profit-Sharing Scheme
• Rewards Platform
• Weekly mindfulness and well being virtual sessions
• Childcare Vouchers
• We play sports together!
• 28 Days Paid Holiday
• Discount on SIXT Car Rental
• Life Assurance
• Employer Contribution to Pension Scheme

Controversies

Following the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine which began on February 24, many international, particularly Western companies pulled out of Russia. Decathlon instead announced it will continue its operations attracting significant consumer criticism and boycott. On March 29, Decathlon announced that it has ceased its operations and closed all its stores in Russia.

Social Contributions

Decathlon claims to follow a strict policy when it comes to employee welfare and that all contractors working with Decathlon follow the Human Responsibility in Production (HRP) process in all activities. The HRP designates the management system and resources implemented by Decathlon relative to workplace conditions at production sites and with suppliers.[citation needed]

Since 2003, Decathlon has adopted a social charter of the Social and Environmental Responsibility World Forum regarding human rights, health and safety, respect for the environment, corruption and management and communication.

Decathlon has however declined to disclose the names of its suppliers and has been under scrutiny after reports indicate that the company's suppliers in Sri Lanka's free trade zones violate the country's labour laws.