The figure is good, but the trajectory raises questions. In 2024, Decathlon recorded revenues of €16.2bn, up 3.8% year-on-year. This momentum is being driven mainly by international sales, where the French brand is now present in 79 territories, including .

But while expansion continues abroad, things are stagnating in France, the group’s historic birthplace. The contrast is striking: while the company is planning to invest €100m investment over five years in its Indian operations to strengthen its shop network and production capacity, and a similar amount in Germany between now and 2027 to open new outlets and modernise its stock, France is seeing its results stagnate.

Decathlon’s sales in France hit €4.73bn in 2024, compared with €4.72bn a year earlier, despite the ‘Olympic Games effect,’ which boosted shop footfall by 10% during the games and by 6.7% during the Paralympic Games. The French market accounts for a quarter of the group’s worldwide sales.

Managerial restructuring

A lacklustre performance has been accompanied by a shakeup at the top of the company. Last week, Decathlon announced the departure of Barbara Martin Coppola, managing director since 2022, to be replaced by Javier López, an in-house product with 26 years’ experience at the company. López previously managed Decathlon in Germany (2012-2015) and Spain (2015-2022), and was appointed executive director in charge of the value chain in 2022. He is now taking the reins of the group against a backdrop of managerial restructuring, one month after --son of founder Michel Leclercq--as board chair.

“I am convinced that Decathlon must transform itself to serve more people around the world,” said López on his LinkedIn page. “Together, we will make Decathlon the benchmark brand for sport and wellness, everywhere in the world.”

The new leader will have the delicate task of turning around the French results, but also restoring the group’s image, which has been dented by . The programme Cash Investigation in February 2025 accused the retailer of benefiting from forced labour in China via the group Qingdao Jifa, accusations that the company refutes.

In its latest results, Decathlon stresses that it has reduced its CO2 emissions by 13% since 2021, continuing its decarbonisation trajectory. In 2024, 48.5% of products sold came from a process, 1.35m second-hand products were sold and 3m were repaired in 1,730 workshops. The group also says it has more than halved (-53.29%) its use of single-use plastic, from 2,646 tonnes to 1,236 tonnes.

This article in French.