25 new stores in 2026: Decathlon continues German expansion

Retail

Decathlon store Credits: Decathlon.

Automated translation

French sporting goods retailer Decathlon is driving forward its expansion in Germany.

Around 25 new stores are set to open next year. Decathlon announced this on the occasion of the opening of its 100th store in Nuremberg city centre.

New stores will open in 2026 in Lüdenscheid, Oberhausen, Schwetzingen, Saarbrücken and Trier. The company has not yet announced further locations. While contracts for 15 stores have already been signed, many are still awaiting the conclusion of building permit procedures.

Dozens of new stores by 2027

Just over a year ago, Decathlon announced its intention to open more than 60 additional stores in Germany by the end of 2027. The total number of stores will then be at least 150. The expansion will cost the company, whose German headquarters are in Plochingen near Stuttgart, more than 100 million euros. In addition, dozens of stores will be modernised.

Head of expansion Stefan Kaiser stated: “The 100th store is the starting signal, not the finish line”. We will conclude 2025 with 18 new openings. By the end of the year, we will likely have 105 stores. “It is clear to us that an end to our expansion in Germany is not planned, even after 2027.” The expansion of the store network will therefore create around 3,000 jobs by 2027.

The French sporting goods retailer aims to get closer to its customers with this move. Until now, the company has primarily operated large-format stores offering a wide range of products. These are mostly located outside of city centres. Now, smaller shops are increasingly being opened in shopping centres and pedestrian zones. These can specialise in a particular sport and adapt to local needs. According to earlier statements, this is also possible because many buildings in city centres are vacant. The retailer intends to seize this opportunity.

Decathlon aims to capture market share

The specialist sports market in Germany is worth billions and is highly competitive. The industry continues to benefit from the ongoing trend towards health and fitness. The market leader is Intersport, with a turnover of around 3.5 billion euros. It is followed by Sport 2000 with around 2.8 billion euros. Both associations of independent sports retailers are also opening new stores. This is also possible because there are gaps in the market, partly due to the closure of fashion stores and department stores that had sports ranges.

Following these two retail groups is the chain store Decathlon. The French company, long known as the 'Aldi of sports retail', recently had around 6,000 employees in Germany and generated a turnover of just under 1.2 billion euros. Through this expansion, the company aims to significantly increase its market share and turnover. Decathlon has not recently specified exact targets.

This article was translated to English using an AI tool.

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