Decathlon Will Establish Taiwan Headquarters in Taichung

Taipei, Dec. 1, 2010 (CENS)--Decathlon of France, the world's second largest sporting-goods retail chain, has decided to make major inroads into the Taiwanese market, by establishing a Taiwan operational headquarters in Taichung City and opening 10-12 large-scale flagship stores, at a cost of NT$12 billion, throughout Taiwan in five years.

Construction for the Taichung headquarters and the first flagship store, also in Taichung City, will break ground after Decathlon signed a contract with Taichung City government in mid-December.

Decathlon Taiwan reported that the company plans to open 60 outlets eventually in Taiwan, in order to tap Taiwan's expanding consumption market for sporting goods. Initial investment by the company in Taiwan is estimated at over NT$12 billion, according to Wang Ying, secretary general of the Industrial Development and Investment Promotion Committee of Taichung City.

The company has chosen Taichung as the site of the Taiwan headquarters, since the city is the center for its procurement in Taiwan. Another reason is reportedly the enthusiastic promotion of Taichung City mayor Jason Hu, when Yves Claude, president of Decathlon, attended the Taiwan Business Alliance Conference, organized by the Ministry of Economic Affairs (MOEA), in 2009.

Founded in 1976, Decathlon, under the Oxylane Group, is Europe's largest and the world's second largest retail chain for sporting goods, owning 490 outlets with 40,000 staffers in Europe, South America, and Asia, with annual revenue topping NT$230 billion.

It set up the Taiwan procurement center in Taichung 20 years ago, mainly for the procurement of bicycles and surfboards, among others, with the procurement value expected to top NT$3.4 billion this year, which is expected to reach NT$3.8-4 billion next year.

The company's first flagship store in Taiwan will be located the eighth rezoning area of Taichung City on a plot of land spanning 1.8 hectares in space and will cost NT$1 billion to build. It will break ground for construction early next year and start operation by the end of the year, with a floor space of 2,400 pings (one ping equals 36 square feet). Like other Decathlon outlets, the flagship store will be furnished with grounds for ball games, linear skating, and even golf putting, for free use by consumers. It also plans to open outlets in Taipei City and Kaohsiung City next year.