How Decathlon goes all out in innovation
But the bulk of the testing is still done in four labs. One studies morphology, the other perception and feeling, the third thermal comfort. “When you play sports, the major discomfort is being too cold, too hot or being wet,” says Zied Cheheb, the thermal comfort expert. Thanks to four state-of-the-art waterproof chambers, the researcher recreates the effect of wind, humidity or sun and varies the temperature from -40 to +40 degrees, in order to check whether Decathlon equipment remains protective and comfortable. . The guinea pigs? Human beings or Newton, a dummy-robot, equipped with numerous sensors. "We also have mannequins of feet, hands, or heads to assess, for example, the appearance of fogging on a diving mask", lists Zied Cheheb. In 2019, thanks to this team, Decathlon was able to release equipment for the extreme polar cold.
Closer to the field
Three corridors away is the fourth laboratory, on the movement. Launched on a force platform, a skateboarder tries out new butt and knee protectors, intended for snowboarders, under the eye of high frequency cameras.
The Sportslab is Decathlon's scientific guarantee. "All the products go through here, in the development phase or in the quality and performance test", emphasizes Zied Cheheb. Its forty experts and its 850 square meters labs, however, only constitute part of the resources allocated by the northern distributor to innovation, its lethal weapon. In total, 270 product managers, 900 engineers and 300 designers devote their days to it. From Quechua to Nabaiji via Domyos, all are working on the 85 own brands in order to create products as close as possible to the field and customer practices.
For this, Decathlon has opened eight design and research sites, specialized by activity. The Mountain Store, temple of hiking and winter sports? In Passy, near Chamonix. Expert sailing teams? Direction La Rochelle. Those who work on water sports? Heading for Hendaye. “My son tested the Easybreath mask, says Annabel Fournier, a mother of three teenage bodyboarders, who lives in this city in the South West. We bought several. It allows you to breathe freely without drinking the cup, is easier to use than a mask and snorkel, and does not compress the face. For her, there is no doubt that this is Decathlon's outstanding invention. Unveiled in 2014 after seven years of development, it has seen its sales increase tenfold since then, and boasts an excellent customer rating of 4.6/5.
For the Decathlon teams, the Easybreath is a consecration. For almost ten years, they have been striving to recreate the phenomenon of the iconic Tente 2 seconds, launched in 2005 and sold more than 10 million copies worldwide. “This phenomenal success showed that innovation was not just the icing on the cake, but could be the cake, explains Irwin Wouts, Sport & Process Innovation Director at Decathlon. It was a case of market transformation. It gave us the confidence to innovate, and try to replicate that story. »
For the greatest number
Since then, each year, the distributor has launched a few dozen breakthrough products and a hundred improvements. On May 4, he unveiled an inflatable surfboard and windsurfer, a sports bra for women who have had a mastectomy, and Quick-Zip, a system that allows bike enthusiasts to take a break as quickly as their male teammates. .
Each time, the obsession is the same: to make the product accessible to as many people as possible, regardless of gender, sporting level, state of health and budget. Thanks to a rigorous choice of materials, an optimized design, and reduced marketing costs, Decathlon offers unbeatable value for money. In six years, the price of Easybreath has melted from 45 to 30 euros! “Decathlon has been able to create a pioneering, precise and very technical discount store,” says Rodolphe Bonnasse, CEO of CA Com. He proved that “low cost” did not rhyme with “low quality” and that innovation was not necessarily the signature of big brands. This strategy made him the leader. »
With 3.5 billion euros in turnover in France, the Mulliez family brand dominates the market. Its 1,665 stores in 64 countries, and the power of its shareholder, the sixth wealthiest in France according to the Challenges ranking, amortize its R&D expenses. Competitors had to adapt. “Our innovation focuses on international brands, recognizes Benjamin Robinet, marketing and digital director of Go Sport. They support R&D and confer a statutory aspect that own brands do not have. »
An element that Decathlon, proud of the performance of its products, ended up forgetting. In 2018, the distributor cleaned up the big names in sport... and saw its sales crumble. Since then, it has reintroduced some iconic labels like Nike and adidas to its shelves. The French did not hold it against him: in 2020, despite the closure of stores for three months, they elected Decathlon the second favorite brand, according to the EY Parthenon study.
Race test in one of the centre's four thermal chambers. This sealed location recreates the effect of wind, humidity or sun, and varies the temperature to check whether Decathlon equipment remains protective and comfortable. (Photos: Bruno Delessard for Challenges)
Skateboarding test at Decathlon's Sportslab, in Lille. The skateboarder tries out new protections on a force platform. (Bruno Delessard for Challenges)
Claire Bouleau (special envoy to Lille)
