Decathlon continues U.S. expansion with experiential San Francisco store

By

Robin Driver

Published
Jul 22, 2019

French multinational sporting goods retailer Decathlon has announced that it is continuing its push into the U.S. market with the opening of a major new West Coast brick-and-mortar location in San Francisco later this year.

Measuring 38,370 square feet, the upcoming store will be located in the Portrero Center shopping mall, at the corner of 16th Street and Bryant Street in San Francisco’s Portrero Hill neighborhood. Bordering the Mission District, the spot already holds a special significance for sports fans in the city, having previously served as the location of Seals Stadium, the first home of the San Francisco Giants.
 
The store will offer Decathlon’s full range of sports gear, as well as equipment for more than 80 sports, and will feature a number of technological innovations intended to simplify and enhance the shopping experience.

These services will include mobile checkout, endless aisles and improved click-and-collect ordering, as well as an in-store robot for keeping tabs on inventory.
 
The store will also feature a large community space where the retailer plans to host events and workshops.
 
“Bay Area residents are looking to buy smart when it comes to their outdoor and sports gear,” explained Decathlon USA COO Sophie O'Kelly de Gallagh in a release. “We’re proud to be playing a bigger role in the active lifestyles of our Bay Area community – and to be part of the solution that helps people get outside and discover new sports.”
 
Founded in 1976, Decathlon currently has over 1,600 points of sale in more than 51 countries around the world. Having made an initial incursion into the U.S. between 1996 and 2006, the retailer made its comeback in the market in December 2017, testing the waters with an 8,300-square-foot “lab store” in central San Francisco before opening its first full-line store, a 47,000-square-foot experiential location in Emeryville, just across the San Francisco Bay.
 
Further North, the company is also doubling down on its expansion plans in Canada, having recently announced two upcoming store openings in Quebec, and a third in Ottawa, Decathlon’s first location in the province of Ontario.
 
The new Portrero Center Decathlon store is expected to open in November 2019.