Decathlon Singapore ramps up expansion plan for click-and-collect stores

After opening its first global duty-free popup at Singapore’s Changi Airport last month, Decathlon has recently unveiled its strategic plan to expand to 37 “2-hour Click & Collect” locations islandwide by 2026. 

“Singapore is a living lab, allowing Decathlon to test a network of physical touchpoints in a very densely populated environment,” Stephan Veyret, CEO of Decathlon Singapore, told Inside Retail. 

“We engage our customers often and the top reason they do not visit our stores is because we are too far from where they live,” Veyret said. “This tells us there are many more opportunities for Decathlon to be where we are needed, to be even closer to our customers.”

Implementation

After first introducing the compact Click & Collect touchpoints in Singapore in 2018, the company increased the store count from three in 2019 to 10 this year, with the plan to open more locations in the next 18 months. Two new Click & Collect stores are slated to open at Lot 1 next month and Jurong Point in October. 

The two-hour click-and-collect service, which is available at 10 smaller Click & Collect touchpoints and six larger Experience stores, allows customers to pick up, test and/or return products at a touchpoint along their daily commute, within two hours, for free. The customers can access Decathlon’s catalogue of more than 5000 products across 60 sports.

“E-commerce has been something Singaporeans are already accustomed to for many years now,” said Veyret. “With speed and efficiency so ingrained in our daily lives, ‘quick commerce’ is fast becoming the expected service standard. Our two-hour click-and-collect promise is one way in which Decathlon continues to provide value to the customer and differentiates ourselves in this saturated e-commerce space.”

Grow beyond physical presence

Veyret said the growth includes Decathlon’s marketplace and digital presence. Over the last two years, the Decathlon Marketplace has expanded to carry products from more than 150 partners online and in stores. 

According to the CEO, online sales have grown to 12 per cent of Decathlon’s sales from 5 per cent of its sales before the pandemic. 

Decathlon Singapore is also working with Enterprise Singapore (ESG) on the Retail Open Innovation Challenge, and also with Design Singapore and the Economic Development Board to enhance omnichannel experience. 

“When a customer buys a tennis racket in-store, they will be able to access related digital content about tennis, and connect with fellow tennis enthusiasts and the local tennis community. This will allow us to enhance the customer experience not only at the larger Experience stores, but also at the more compact Click & Collect touchpoints,” he said. 

“Given that the Click & Collect stores are much more compact, it is important for us to provide a curated selection of products that directly meet the needs of the community based on the data,” Veyret added. 

Expansion with consideration 

“Southeast Asia is one of the fastest growing regions for Decathlon and there is a great opportunity for Decathlon Singapore to champion the growth of the region over the next few years,” Veyret said, adding the brand’s goal is to be as close to the community as possible and to be within 15 minutes from the homes of all Singaporeans. 

“We want our stores to be in convenient locations where people access daily, such as along their daily commute, so that people pass by us naturally,” he said. “This is the key motivation for Decathlon to reinforce its commitment to make sports accessible to all and move people through the wonders of sports.

“That being said, we follow a curated expansion plan — and commit to new locations only if the location and economic conditions are right,” he added. “We can open more stores at a faster rate, but we would always prioritise quality over quantity.”

He said the company will continue to analyse locations where it can best serve the community while taking a realistic view of current leasing conditions.

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