The French sports and outdoor store is opening its primary store in B.C. this weekend, and we were able to take a glance inside. Decathlon This 38,000-square-foot retail space is in Burnaby at Metropolis at Metrotown. It's the first store for the company in British Columbia, and we got an early look inside.
The 38,000-square-foot retail space is located in Burnaby inside Metropolis at Metrotown. Home to a full selection of the company’s sporting goods — ranging from fitness machines and yoga mats, to swimsuits and a $6,000 Carbon Gravel Bike — the sprawling, two-storey store is located off the Grand Court of the busy shopping centre.
At the heart of the space is a colourful mural by Vancouver artist Andrew McGuire showcasing Vancouver landmarks such as the Olympic Cauldron, downtown skyline, Capilano Suspension Bridge and more. But, of course, the main focus of the store is the product.
The large retail space follows a temporary location at the mall, open from late October 2023 through mid-April, where Guillaume Hauston, regional manager for the store, says customer response surpassed their expectations. Decathlon“, explains shopper response exceeded expectations.
“It was over and above what we expected. We tried to sell our key products and highlight our iconic products. And it was received really well,” Hauston says, noting what makes the company a perfect fit for the region. “Within a 30-minute radius of the downtown, you can practice almost all of the sports that we sell, which is 65. You can go sailing, you can go mountain biking, paddle board, kayak, trail running, skiing. That is unique in Vancouver.
“So, we bring a brand that covers a lot of sports to a playground that covers a lot of practice, with people that are extremely active, and also needs to have more access to sport.”
Decathlon currently operates 20 stores in Canada with more than 1,700 retail outposts in more than 60 countries worldwide. That international awareness is another potential draw for the local outpost.
“The other thing about Vancouver is the diaspora communities are growing,” Rehmatullah Sheikh, the company’s local community manager, says. “A lot of them were shopping Decathlon back home. So a lot of them are … eagerly anticipating for a full Decathlon to open.”
The store features a mural by Vancouver artist Andrew McGuire.
Decathlon has opened its first flagship store in B.C. at Metropolis at Metrotown in Burnaby. Men’s running shoes on display.
The B.C. location is stocked with product from the company’s nearly a dozen in-house lines, with a specific focus on Vancouver interests such as hiking, camping, cycling and mountain biking. Seasonal turnover will highlight water sports in summer and snow sports in winter.
“We are designing, manufacturing and distributing all of our products,” Hauston says. “So, you will see different brands, but they are all ours.”
The integrated model allows for pricing to be lower than some sporting goods retailers, Hauston adds, with the ultimate aim of making sports accessible to as many people as possible.
“A brand that may be similar, in terms of the way they build the business model and bring some more specs and features to their products, is Ikea,” Hauston explains.
Decathlon has opened its first flagship store in B.C. at Metropolis at Metrotown in Burnaby. The camping department is pictured.
The company customized the in-store offering for the opening based on information about specific sports learned at the pop-up store.
“Several people came in asking about our horseback riding products,” Sheikh says.
“And many people asked about badminton. We have it, but we didn’t show the range. So, we brought it in,” Hauston adds. “If more people inquire about it, it may be more popular than other sports we have. So we will make changes.”
Decathlon has opened its first main store in B.C. at Metropolis at Metrotown in Burnaby.
Decathlon has opened its first main store in B.C. at Metropolis at Metrotown in Burnaby. The store offers bikes priced from $390 to $6,000.
When asked which product or department in store might prompt surprise from shoppers, Hauston pointed to the wide range of bikes in the space. The store stocks e-bikes, foldable bikes, cruiser bikes, mountain bikes, and touring bikes priced from $390 to $6,000. The store also has a workshop that services and repairs bikes, kayaks, and paddle boards.
“The biking section will be very surprising,” Hauston says. “We have top-quality bikes for extreme athletes, but we also have city bikes for beginners who just want to do that.”
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