French sports goods chain Decathlon will open its fourth store in Chennai at Ramee Mall on December 31. Decathlon will occupy the first two floors and will be the only outlet in the mall, which is owned by the Dubai-based Ramee group.
Aditya Mani, Store Leader for the Ramee project, said only products for mountain sport, fitness and cycling will be available at the time of launch. “By February, we will be able to accommodate the entire product line for 50 sports,” he said.
The grand launch of the store will be on February 4.
While Decathlon stores at Poonamallee, Perungudi and Padur, all on the outskirts of Chennai city, attract people in the nearby area, there is limited traction from the city because of the distance. The move is a bid to increase its customer base within the city, especially from areas such as Alwarpet, Mylapore and T Nagar.
“The new shop will help cater to existing customers and also acquire a new customer base in the city,” Mani said. The company has a strong presence in e-commerce as well.
“We want to focus on introducing sports to kids. We will be visiting schools and colleges, and arrange field trips to Decathlon stores,” he said.
Decathlon opened its first store in Chennai in 2015. The company operates big format stores where people can try products before buying. The company has around 53 stores in India and operates in over 20 countries.