French sports goods retailer Decathlon opens the first store in a completely new retail concept. The first hypermarket Decathlon DX. with an area of 800 square meters, is located in the company’s headquarters in Villev d’Ask, in France.
Instead of the regular assortment, the store will have a temporary thematic collection. For example, over the next ten weeks, the concept store will be fully dedicated to children’s shoes, while products such as jackets, gloves, and hats will be available from November.
Initially, the store will be open only to Decathlon customer club members. An exclusive layout characterizes the new retail space – all furniture is mounted on rollers, prices are indicated on electronic price tags. The ceilings are equipped with RFID readers for automatic “real-time” inventory and contactless payments.
Buyers are offered the opportunity to pay for their purchases independently with the new Decathlon Pay system. However, traditional shopping terminals are also being installed in the store in a limited number. The format’s primary purpose is to allow the store staff to spend no more than 5% of their time on regular tasks to interact more with the customers.
New technologies are also being tested in the store to increase efficiency. For example, instead of fitting rooms, there are scanners for legs and body, capable, for instance, showing suitable shoes, taking into account the shape of the foot, thanks to RDIF. Besides, Decathlon is showing in the new store videos about the company’s factories and initiatives in the field of sustainable development. It presents selected products from the history of the brand. The store has an AddLab 3D printer for the exclusive design of products and services as additional services. The company does not plan to scale the project in the form of a unique hypermarket. Still, some elements of the new concept will be gradually introduced into the retail network.
