Decathlon in the Czech Republic: How a Newcomer Became a Sporting Retail Powerhouse

In just 15 years, Decathlon has grown to 27 stores across the Czech Republic — and its presence extends well beyond. As a tenant in multiple ZDR properties, including the Pula Retail Park in Croatia held within the ZDR Master Fund, Decathlon is a prime example of the kind of strong, internationally expanding retailer that anchors our portfolio. What’s behind the success of a sporting goods chain generating annual revenues of approximately EUR 360 million (including e-commerce) in the Czech market alone? And what makes Czech consumers so distinctive? We sat down with Tomáš Kortus, Decathlon’s Retail Leader for the Czech Republic, to find out.‍

‍Now that 2025 is behind us — what were the standout moments for Decathlon? Major wins, key decisions, things the team was quietly most proud of?

We’re proud of many things. I’d highlight our continued expansion — we opened two new stores. We’re also pleased with the ongoing modernisation of existing locations, and we organised numerous sporting events for our customers. The most significant was an event tied to the UEFA football championship, where we managed to bring the European and Conference League trophies to the Czech Republic for the first time.

You’ve been with Decathlon for 13 years — just two years less than the company has been in the Czech market. How have the stores and the strategy evolved over that time?

When I started, we had two stores. Today we have 27, and we’re competing with Sportisimo for the number-one position in the market. I was there for the opening of the Prague Černý Most store, which kicked off a period of rapid growth. As the company grew, so did my career — I moved from department manager all the way to Retail Leader, overseeing all stores nationwide. I’m proud of what we’ve built here.

Was it difficult to enter a market that was already divided among established chains like Sportisimo, Hervis, and InterSport?

What made it even more interesting is that our very first store wasn’t in the capital — it was in Liberec. We were the first country where Decathlon launched outside the main city. The original plan was to open in Prague’s Letňany district, but land issues delayed that — it ended up being our 15th store. Before we reached Prague, we’d already opened in Ostrava and Olomouc. So building brand awareness was no easy task. We drew customers in with our slogan: “We make sport accessible.”

On top of that, you arrived with brands like Quechua and Kalenji that nobody in the Czech Republic had heard of.

We started by explaining that sport doesn’t have to be expensive. In the early phase, we needed to get as many products into customers’ hands as possible — so they could try them and discover that even a basic t-shirt holds up well. Once that trust was established, they’d move up to our higher-end ranges. Over time, we shifted our messaging from pure affordability to value for money — because quality products don’t always have to be expensive. Over the past five years, we’ve been positioning ourselves as specialists across a wide range of sports, with a focus on our most technically advanced product lines. This aligns with Decathlon’s global strategy, including partnerships with figures like footballer Antoine Griezmann, the AG2R cycling team, and sponsorships of the Olympic Games and European football. We also outfitted athletes at the 2026 Winter Paralympics in Milan-Cortina. All of this builds brand credibility.

Are Czech customers different from those in other markets?

At headquarters in France, we had to explain that Czech customers are demanding — they expect high technical value even as hobby athletes. Products that sit in the premium range in France, we put into our standard offering here. Every store in the Czech Republic carries our top-tier product lines, which isn’t the norm in France or many other countries.

Why are Czechs so focused on technical specifications?

It’s partly cultural and historical. There’s a saying here: “We’re too poor to buy cheap things” — meaning quality is the only thing that saves you money in the long run. Czechs want to understand the real value of a product, even if they won’t actually use every technical feature. With well-known brands, they’ll pay for quality. For our own brands, which were unknown here, we had to earn that trust. Over 13 years, the perception has shifted dramatically. Today we sell even our most expensive road bikes — and the Czech Republic is one of the strongest markets for road cycling in Europe in terms of sales volume.

So the lowest price is no longer the deciding factor?

We gradually moved from entry-level towards more technical, higher-priced products. But now we’re seeing a need to recalibrate — over the past two to three years, the macroeconomic environment has made customers more price-conscious again. We need to communicate that we still offer quality products at accessible prices.

You’re able to keep prices lower mainly because these are your own brands, where you control development and production?

We have our own product engineers who design products, our own factories for prototypes. We test and certify everything in-house. Contract manufacturers produce the goods, but the logistics are ours again. We don’t pay an extra margin to anyone else, which is how we keep prices below the competition.

Where does product development happen?

Most products are developed in France, where we have 15 design centres. Some are developed in Spain. Racquet sports products are designed in Asia, where the deepest expertise lies. Ice hockey is based in Canada.

Have the sporting priorities of Czech consumers changed over the past decade?

Hiking remains the number-one sport, followed closely by cycling. Within cycling, we’ve seen a major shift — customers are moving from mountain bikes towards road cycling, cross-country, and gravel bikes. E-bikes have become a category in their own right. In winter sports, ski touring has surged. Climbing has also grown significantly, driven by new indoor climbing centres and strong demand from younger consumers.

Are there emerging sports gaining traction?

Padel is a great example — hugely popular in Spain and now growing fast in Central Europe. It’s a four-player game combining elements of tennis and squash, played on a smaller court with plexiglass walls.

Unlike some competitors, you also sell hunting and equestrian gear. Are these meaningful segments?

Hunting and fishing are popular in the Czech Republic and deliver stable revenue. Equestrian sports are growing too. We wanted to make riding gear more accessible — it took time, because equestrian has an image as a premium sport. But our entry-level children’s riding tights start at a fraction of the price you’d pay at a specialist retailer. We’ve opened up the sport to a much wider audience.

Online sales account for roughly a fifth of your revenue. How is the marketplace developing?

The marketplace is the fastest-growing part of our business. We’re still in the early stages and see enormous potential. Our goal is to become the number-one platform where anyone can find a comprehensive range of sporting products and services.

How many marketplace partners do you currently have?

Around 250. But for us, the number isn’t what matters most. It’s about identifying the right sports to feature on the platform and finding partners with the right offering. One advantage for local partners is that once they join, they can sell through Decathlon across all our markets — essentially opening up the whole of Europe.

Do you work with smaller Czech companies?

Yes. For example, we partner with Unuo, a small Czech brand producing softshell clothing for children and adults. They filled a gap in our range that Czech customers specifically demanded. They sell both on our marketplace and in our physical stores.

How is the rental concept performing?

Our rental service is doing well — customers are using it extensively, and we haven’t even launched a marketing campaign for it yet. We already offer long-term rental for fitness equipment, skis, and we’re adding more products over time.

Tell us about the Second Life programme.

We recognise our responsibility to the planet, and we know that material resources are finite. Some products get minor cosmetic damage — a scratch here or there — but remain fully functional. Nobody buys those at full price, but they’re happy to pick them up at a discount. We also actively buy back used products from customers, service them, and resell them. It helps people part with gear they no longer need while making sport more accessible for someone else. The response has been excellent.

The average Decathlon store in the Czech Republic has a sales area of approximately 4,000 m². The smallest is 300 m² in Prague’s Pankrác, the largest is 6,000 m² in Brno Mořice.

You pride yourselves on having athletes advise customers in-store. What’s your sport?

I’ll play anything, honestly. The key is staying active. I try to work out regularly and enjoy football, badminton, cycling, and swimming.

Does a job applicant at Decathlon need to play a sport?

It’s our primary filter for hiring, and it shapes which department you’d be considered for. We want to spread the joy of sport — so it doesn’t matter whether you’re a beginner or an expert. What matters is that you’re passionate about it. When you love something, you can talk about it naturally and you’re genuinely curious about the products. You can give informed advice from day one without lengthy training. When I started, I could recommend football boots on my first day because I’d played football all my life.

Will you continue expanding your store network?

We want to be closer to our customers, so yes — we’re always looking for opportunities to open new locations.

What else is planned for 2026?

We’ll continue modernising our stores and improving the customer experience. Customer satisfaction is our top priority. At the same time, we’re looking for new ways to delight customers and help them fully enjoy their sporting experiences.‍

Tomáš Kortus has been with Decathlon since 2014. He started as a store director in Plzeň, then led the opening of the Prague Zlčín location. He has also worked on store concepts and served as Country Sport Leader for fitness. An experienced retail professional with deep expertise in sales management, team development, and strategic planning, he currently serves as Retail Leader for the Czech Republic.