Holding company for one of the world’s largest athletic retailers. The group was founded in 1984 by Michel Leclercq. Headquartered in Lille, France, the Decathlon retail chain operates in 47 countries and offers 20 brands of its own.
Decathlon began as a single store opened by Michel Leclerq in Englos, Lille in 1976. The company started producing its own brands in 1986 and launched its “superstore” format while also expanding internationally throughout the 80s and 90s. Decathlon opened its first UK location in Surrey Quays, London, in 1999 and now has 44 UK locations. Expansion into China followed in 2003, and the company launched its UK website in 2011. Decathlon has over 1,400 stores globally and more than 70,000 employees. Michel Leclerq owns 40 per cent of the retail chain, which is also partly owned by his cousin, Gerard Mulliez, of the Auchan department stores dynasty.
- Family name: Leclercq and Mulliez families
- Sector: Consumer Products & Retail
- Founded: 1984
- Founder: Michel Leclercq
- Country: France
- Company headquarters: Lille, France
- Revenue: 9.5
- Employees: 70,000
- Website: decathlon.com
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