Ihr habt mit euren zirkulären Services von Buy Back bis Second Use gezeigt, dass Nachhaltigkeit ein Wachstumsmotor sein kann. Wie schwer war der interne Kulturwandel?
Für uns bei Decathlon ist die Kreislaufwirtschaft längst keine interne Konkurrenz mehr zum Neugeschäft, sondern tief in unserer DNA verankert. Ehrlich gesagt arbeiten wir schon seit Jahrzehnten an zirkulären Modellen: Historisch begann das bereits 1986 mit unserer Tauschbörse „Trocathlon“, um gebrauchter Ausrüstung ein zweites Leben zu schenken. Hier in Deutschland haben wir „Second Use“ bereits 2019 fest in unsere Filialen integriert, und im Herbst 2022 fiel der Startschuss für unser „Buy-Back“-System. Auch beim Thema Ecodesign machen wir seit 2020 strategisch enormen Druck. Gleichzeitig haben wir den Erfolg der Nachhaltigkeitsinitiativen an die Unternehmensspitze gekoppelt: Erreichen wir zentrale ESG-Ziele – wie etwa die Reduzierung unserer CO2-Emissionen oder die Förderung der Mitarbeiterbindung an unseren Purpose – nicht, wirkt sich das direkt auf die variable Vergütung unseres Executive Committees aus, die bis zu 30 % des jährlichen Bonus ausmacht.
Zirkuläre Modelle scheitern im Retail oft an der Bequemlichkeit der Kundschaft. Wie stellt ihr sicher, dass Prozesse nahtlos funktionieren?
Die wichtigste Erkenntnis hierbei ist: Wenn zirkuläre Services nicht genauso einfach sind wie der Neukauf, werden sie in der Breite nicht angenommen. Deshalb verfolgen wir einen klaren Omnichannel-Ansatz, um jegliche Hürden abzubauen. In unseren Filialen sind Buy-Back und Second-Use – für die wir übrigens volle zwei Jahre Gewährleistung bieten – unübersehbar in den Verkaufsraum integriert. Wer es lieber digital mag, kann vorab über unsere App oder Website den „Buy-Back-Rechner“ nutzen und in wenigen Klicks den Ankaufswert seiner Ausrüstung ermitteln. Bei beratungsintensiven Produkten wie Premium-E-Bikes setzen wir auf stationäre Shop-in-Shop-Konzepte, wie aktuell mit unserem Partner Rebike. So können die Kundinnen und Kunden die Räder Probefahren, Vertrauen in die Refurbished-Qualität fassen und haben direkt unsere Fachwerkstatt vor Ort als Ansprechpartner.
Infrastruktur & Repair Culture: Wie skaliert man eine solche handwerkliche Reparatur-Infrastruktur parallel zum reinen Filialbetrieb?
Das ist in der Tat eine unserer größten operativen Herausforderungen. Zwar betreiben wir mittlerweile weltweit in 1.746 Filialen eigene Servicepoints, doch beim flächendeckenden Ausbau stoßen wir speziell in Deutschland auf strukturelle Flaschenhälse. Das sind zum einen strikte Vorgaben der Handwerksordnung – Stichwort Meisterpflicht bei Zweirädern – und zum anderen ein genereller Fachkräftemangel. Hinzu kommen weite Wege zu den wenigen Berufsschulen, was uns die Rekrutierung außerhalb der großen Metropolen erschwert. Um zumindest die logistische Seite der Ersatzteilversorgung smart zu lösen, nutzen wir unser „ADD LAB“. Seltener benötigte Komponenten lagern wir nicht physisch in großen Stückzahlen, sondern rufen sie aus einem digitalen Archiv ab und drucken sie bei Bedarf lokal im 3D-Drucker.
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.
