What is a Design Centre ?

It's a place where we develop tomorrow's products.

To better understand the needs of sportsmen and women and to meet their expectations, Decathlon has chosen to locate its design centres close to the places where the products are used.

These strategic locations make it easier to communicate with enthusiasts and to enable our teams to understand their concerns as well as possible. For example, our teams dream up our future water sports collections by the sea, in Hendaye, France!

Decathlon has several design centres, each focusing on specific sports or activities, taking advantage of their local environments and expertise in product design, testing and technological advances.

Opened in 2010 and based in Lille, France, Decathlon Cycling Lab is the product design and development centre dedicated to mobility.

It is in this centre that innovation, design and product testing come together. It is also home to our innovation hub and our research centre dedicated to the study of the human body, SportsLab.

There are various laboratories, prototyping workshops, a 11,000 m' bicycle assembly factory and a 3,000 m store entirely dedicated to mobility, and its Van Rysel pro shop.

More than 300 professions work every day in this design centre to make mobility more accessible.

Created in 2008 in Marcq-en-Baroeul, France, the Decathlon Fitness Lab is Decathlon's global design centre for textiles and fitness products.

It is home to the design of equipment and textiles for all of Decathlon's fitness sports: cardio, low-impact exercise, boxing, combat sports,

bodybuilding and cross-training, gymnastics and acrobatic sports, sports education, dance and yoga, the underwear and sportswear design teams and all the textile industrial processes.

The site also houses a gym: the Domyos Fitness Club, a genuine design aid. This is where the essential meetings between our design/ production teams and our end users take place.

On average, the latter visit us more than twice a week, classifying them as regular or even advanced gymgoers.

The site is also home to a shop dedicated entirely to fitness enthusiasts and club customers.

This shop gives enthusiasts an opportunity to discover our innovative fitness products and the latest on-trend textiles designed by our teams.

Since 2022, the site has been home to all the textile industrial processes, involving the textile community, the AEC (Apparel Excellence Centre) and the laboratories.

Our laboratories dedicated to textiles and to the development of all the components enable us to test their strength, durability, breathability and stretch, from the component to the finished product.

Nearly 4,600 prototypes are designed in these labs every year!

The teams test the entire product range in rooms specifically dedicated to real-use conditions. These are tests carried out with real users, in the most demanding environment for the activity. The site has 4 testing rooms: yoga and dance, boxing and combat sports, cardio-training and kids sports education.

Founded in 2009 and located in Marcq-en-Barœul, France, the Inesis Park is the design centre dedicated to golf.

It has all the infrastructure required for practising and playing golf: a pro shop, two

9-hole and 6-hole courses, a 20-bay indoor driving range, a 43-bay outdoor driving range, indoor and outdoor putting greens and a simulator!

It's a real vantage point, with a direct view of the courses from the offices.

This environment enables us to observe golfers in action, to understand their needs and design products that meet them. A 250 m² concept store allows us to test our merchandising solutions that will then be rolled out in Decathlon stores worldwide.

Based in Tourcoing, France since 2015, the Kipstadium is Decathlon's design centre and observation space for team sports.

The 8 hectares of indoor and outdoor pitches are dedicated to football, handball, basketball, volleyball, rugby and other sports. There are 5 different floor coverings, a warm-up and stretching room, and a footgolf course.

The teammates dedicated to team sports work next to the pitches, as do the industrial process teams (balls, bags, stitching and equipment), so that they can be as close as possible to the players.

More than 30 different professions design and develop

Decathlon's team sports products.

The spaces are open, with large glass walls to allow the teams to observe users and facilitate communication.

Thanks to the practice facilities, our teams' products can be tested to obtain rapid feedback.

Based in Wattrelos, France, since 2012, the FIC (Footwear Industrial Community) develops Decathlon's footwear products.

In this footwear community, around 100 team members, from all sorts of professions, design an average of 300 prototypes a year, containing up to 70 components per model.

Decathlon Campus, the brand's international headquarters, is located in Villeneuve d'Ascq in northern France.

It brings together nearly 2,000 team members of more than 50 different nationalities.

Opened in 1994, this 48,000 m² site has at its heart an 8,000 m² store, a veritable showcase for Decathlon's products and know-how. It is a working tool for engineers, product managers or others involved in the creative processes. They can go there at any time to talk to the team members working in the store about their needs and preferences.

The Campus is also home to all the France and Global departments, including Senior Leadership.

On this site, a number of buildings and facilities form a village dedicated to sport and wellbeing, with around 10 sports facilities open to all visitors. Nearby, a shop run by our partner Alltricks completes the site's sports offer.

The racquet sports teams are based in the Central, a 10-minute walk from Campus.

A team of 55 enthusiasts is dedicated to meeting 100% of the needs of players of every level. There is a stringing room, a textile workshop, a room dedicated to design and a ghost court. Designers, engineers and model makers work hand in hand to come up with innovative, high-performance equipment that meets players' expectations.

The offices of KIPRUN, our expert brand dedicated to running and trails, are located in the Podium, a 5-minute walk from Campus.

More than 110 team members, including designers, engineers, product managers, offer managers, etc., work hand in hand to develop the solutions of the future.

The Decathlon Training Centre was set up in 1982 with four goals: to develop the skills of each business line, to improve managers' recruitment and leadership skills, to share our culture and values, and to train our own instructors for in-store training.

Today, the Decathlon University in-house training centre is an essential hub that perpetuates these 4 goals and supports our 19 business lines all over the world, by adding personal development, plus a brand new subject: the wellbeing and physical fitness of every team member.

Housed in the old fish market in the port of Hendaye, France since 2004, the WaterSports Lab is our design centre dedicated to water sports (kayaking, surfing, swimming, diving, etc.).

On a daily basis, 270 team members, half of whom are designers, engineers, product managers, prototype builders and model makers, come up with ever more innovative and practical products.

At the heart of the 10,000 m² design centre, there is a store, which is both a showcase and a laboratory. The design teams are in close contact with sales staff and customers. It serves as a "laboratory" for developing merchandising and new business models

The Tribord Sailing Lab is the design centre dedicated to sailing and wind sports. All the necessary equipment for yachtsmen, sailing material and dinghies are designed and developed here!

Inaugurated in September 2021, it is located in the heart of "Les Minimes" port in La Rochelle, close to all those involved in the nautical sector.

More than just a design centre, the Sailing Lab aims to be a true site of co-creation, inspiration and discussions, where any sailing enthusiast can actively participate in the creation of Tribord's equipment.

Simond was first founded in the Mont Blanc valley in 1860, and the SIMOND design centre was built in Chamonix in 2019.

It is dedicated to the development of climbing and mountaineering equipment, by working together with the teams at the Mountain Store, based in Passy (section 9).

This geographical proximity to the Alps is essential, as it enables the design teams to test the products directly in the field, under demanding, real-life conditions.

It is home to a heritage museum, various laboratories dedicated to product strength, a drop tower and our own 3,000 m² production plant.

A total of 60 team members design and produce metal equipment (carabiners, ice axes, spikes, crampons, belay systems, etc.), and test and inspect all the ranges of ropes, harnesses, backpacks, clothing, footwear and mountain boots directly on the mountain by simply stepping out of the back door of the office. .

Covering 200 m², the heritage museum brings together the unique heritage that recounts the history of mountaineering through the story of Simond.

3,000 m² of French production and design in a unique setting: all the ice axes, crampons and carabiners sold worldwide come from this factory.

Opened in 2007 in the largest forest in Europe, in Gironde, France, this 18-hectare design centre is dedicated to hunting and fishing.

At the heart of the site is a 2,000 m² store, which is a showcase for hunting and fishing outdoor sports, as well as practice activity areas and a 1.5 hectare pond.

More than 180 team members work in this design centre every day.