With your circular services ranging from Buy Back to Second Use, you have shown that sustainability can be a growth engine. How difficult was the internal cultural shift?
For us at Decathlon, the circular economy has long ceased to be internal competition to new business; rather, it is deeply anchored in our DNA. To be honest, we have been working on circular models for decades: Historically, this began in 1986 with our “Trocathlon” exchange market to give used equipment a second life. Here in Germany, we firmly integrated “Second Use” into our stores back in 2019, and the starting signal for our “Buy-Back” system was given in autumn 2022. We have also been pushing strategically hard on the topic of ecodesign since 2020. At the same time, we have tied the success of our sustainability initiatives to top management: If we do not achieve central ESG goals – such as reducing our CO2 emissions or promoting employee loyalty to our purpose – this directly affects the variable compensation of our Executive Committee, which accounts for up to 30% of their annual bonus.
In retail, circular models often fail due to customer convenience. How do you ensure that processes work seamlessly?
The most important realization here is: If circular services are not just as easy as buying new, they will not be widely adopted. That is why we are pursuing a clear omnichannel approach to remove any hurdles. In our stores, Buy-Back and Second-Use – for which we incidentally offer a full two-year warranty – are unmistakably integrated into the sales floor. Those who prefer digital options can use the “Buy-Back calculator” via our app or website in advance and determine the purchase value of their equipment in just a few clicks. For products requiring intensive consultation, like premium e-bikes, we rely on stationary shop-in-shop concepts, as we are currently doing with our partner Rebike. This allows customers to test ride the bikes, build trust in the refurbished quality, and have our specialist workshop right on site as a direct point of contact.
Infrastructure & Repair Culture: How do you scale such a manual repair infrastructure parallel to standard store operations?
That is indeed one of our biggest operational challenges. Although we now operate our own service points in 1,746 stores worldwide, we encounter structural bottlenecks specifically in Germany when expanding nationwide. On the one hand, these are strict requirements of the Trade and Crafts Code (Handwerksordnung) – keyword: master craftsman requirement for two-wheelers – and, on the other hand, a general shortage of skilled workers. Added to this are long distances to the few vocational schools, which makes recruiting outside of major metropolitan areas difficult for us. To at least solve the logistical side of spare parts supply smartly, we use our “ADD LAB”. We do not physically store rarely needed components in large quantities, but retrieve them from a digital archive and print them locally on demand using a 3D printer.
How much do you have to educate your customer base to turn them from passive consumers into active participants in the repair solution?
Fortunately, we don’t really have to do that much “educating” anymore. We are seeing an enormously growing demand for self-help – many athletes want to take minor repairs, like changing a tire tube or adjusting the brakes, into their own hands. Our task is merely to lower the inhibition threshold for them. To this end, we have built a comprehensive support portal that provides video tutorials, exploded-view drawings, and step-by-step instructions. Access is incredibly easy: A scan of the QR code on the product or in the manual is enough, and you have the instructions along with the matching original spare parts directly on your smartphone.
Ecodesign & Material Cycles: Can you explain what is fundamentally different in product development today compared to five years ago?
We have actually been dealing with ecodesign and sustainable product development since long before 2017. So the important foundation has been there for a long time. The fundamental difference today, however, lies in systematization and sheer scale. Since 2020, we have massively accelerated our efforts and investments in this area and firmly anchored them in our guidelines. Today, the aspect of more environmentally friendly production is integrated as a standard right from the very first conceptual phase and runs like a common thread through the entire product life cycle. We systematically require our teams to achieve a reduction of at least 10% compared to the predecessor model in at least two out of four environmental indicators – including CO2 emissions – without compromising functionality. Take our “Woodrower” rowing machine: Here we have drastically reduced the weight while simultaneously guaranteeing spare parts availability for ten years. In textile manufacturing, we rely on water-saving spin dyeing (dope-dyed), recycled polyester/cotton/wool, and use “Minimal Waste Design,” which reduces fabric waste during cutting by 37 to 45 percent. And this is just a fraction of our measures, which is paying off: In 2025, we already generated 53.9% of our global revenue with ecodesign products. However, so that we don’t end up comparing apples to oranges industry-wide in the future, we are also heavily advocating at the political and association level – for example, through the European umbrella organization FESI – for the so-called PEFCR (Product Environmental Footprint Category Rules) methodology to be anchored as a harmonized, scientific EU standard for the environmental footprint.
How far along are you in returning complex blended fabrics into new raw material cycles?
That is indeed the much-cited “final boss” of our industry. While simple textiles are increasingly easy to recycle, it is extremely difficult with sports shoes or highly technical outdoor clothing. We have to integrate recycled materials into cushioning foams or waterproof membranes without compromising mechanical stability. That is why we are intensively researching chemical recycling solutions for synthetic fibers like polyamide, elastane, and acrylic. A major milestone for us was the launch of a demonstrator in 2025 with our industrial partner Recyc’Elit to test complex textile recycling on an industrial scale. In addition, we are consciously joining forces in consortia like CISUTAC and Euratex because we can only overcome such technological hurdles together as an industry.
Local Networks & LOOPTOPIA: What role should global players with your market power play in such strongly localized networks?
As a global player, we deliberately see ourselves as a catalyst, infrastructure provider, and enabler. We see our responsibility in three specific areas:
- Opening up local infrastructure: Circular models often fail due to retail space and logistics constraints. We use our existing stores and city workshops as physical hubs for local cycles – whether for repair services, for Buy-Back, or for local recycling initiatives (like with Renewaball).
- Economic scaling instead of displacement: We do not build circular value creation in isolation, but invest purposefully in specialized partners – such as our stakes in Rebike Mobility or the Bikeleasing Group. In this way, we combine the innovative, local know-how of agile pioneers with our industrial reach and logistics.
- Political bridge-builder for the entire industry: Together with recycling and industry umbrella organizations, we advocate for practical rules by sharing our hands-on experiences.
In short: Global size provides the leverage needed to bring functioning local circular ideas out of the niche and into broad societal application.
Which circular service that is still experimental today will be absolute core business in three years?
Another lever will be opening up our Buy-Back program to third-party brands. We are currently still feeling our way around this in pilot stores with our regional workshops for e-bikes with Bosch or Shimano motors. Through cooperations with external partners, however, we will overcome this limitation in the future and also be able to take back models with other drive systems. And last but not least, I am convinced that chemical plastic recycling, which is still in its infancy today, will then be an indispensable pillar of our material procurement.
