French sports chain Decathlon to open 20 stores in Argentina

[Lanick]

La cadena deportiva francesa Decathlon abrirá 20 locales en la Argentina

La marca internacional regresa al país con un ambicioso plan de expansión de la mano de socios locales, buscando posicionarse en las principales ciudades argentinas para 2026. El primer local estará listo antes de fin de año

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Original article in Spanish

 

[HenryHoneyBalls]

Great shop, very good value in Europe. Will be interesting to see if the goods will be equally cheap in Argentina. Think there may be Decathalon shops in Brazil already.

 

[Lanick]

Great shop, very good value in Europe. Will be interesting to see if the goods will be equally cheap in Argentina. Think there may be Decathalon shops in Brazil already.

I was thinking the same whether it’ll be equally cheap but they mostly sell their own brands. Their tennis shoes/wear, ski clothing, canoes you name it and they have it. I really want to see those greedy rip off establishments go bust with the serious competition coming into the country.

 

[HenryHoneyBalls]

The bikes are great value, much cheaper than some of the bikes I have looked at buying in BA before.

 

[Caribbean Cool]

What is important is the positive vote of confidence of a foreign company...opposite of Fallabella (remember them?).

 

[Lanick]

What is important is the positive vote of confidence of a foreign company...opposite of Fallabella (remember them?).

Yes the confidence is coming back. That’s a very good point. I remember Fallabella. Also remember Walmart. Wouldn’t blame them leaving under the economic conditions and fiscal policies they were experiencing here though. I just want a big player bringing big competition and those rip off places going bust.

 

[Che1990]

Decathlon are big in Colombia, we were there for 3 months and stocked up on everything from trainers to boxing gloves. It was cheap there too.

My worry here is the prices. The crazy import taxes could make it ridiculously expensive. Let’s hope the Milei administration keep to their word and lower taxes.

Would be great to see local brands learn to compete.

 

[Ries]

How can any given company offer lower prices if it must pay the same taxes and tariffs as everybody else? Is it a case of losing money on every sale, but making it up on volume?
I find that Zara, for example, is noticeably more expensive in Argentina than in other countries.
Carrefour is probably the best example of a multinational that actually competes, pricewise, but thats because it has an Argentine based management, 50 years of experience, and sells as much industria argentina as it can to avoid import issues. It also is heavily established in other mercosur countries, so it can buy in bulk for the entire system
Decathlon could be somewhat similiar in this respect- but unless they subcontract to argentine manufacturers, as many brands like addidas or asics do, I dont see how the could be "cheap".

 

[Lanick]

How can any given company offer lower prices if it must pay the same taxes and tariffs as everybody else? Is it a case of losing money on every sale, but making it up on volume?
I find that Zara, for example, is noticeably more expensive in Argentina than in other countries.
Carrefour is probably the best example of a multinational that actually competes, pricewise, but thats because it has an Argentine based management, 50 years of experience, and sells as much industria argentina as it can to avoid import issues. It also is heavily established in other mercosur countries, so it can buy in bulk for the entire system
Decathlon could be somewhat similiar in this respect- but unless they subcontract to argentine manufacturers, as many brands like addidas or asics do, I dont see how the could be "cheap".

If you really think it’s the taxes then I got nothing to say to you.

 

[mikic007]

If you really think it’s the taxes then I got nothing to say to you.

True, once someone broke down taxes for one product, and with retail price abroad did not come close to half the price here. Also Mercosur and pure Argentinian products are also way too expensive. It's greed mostly. Because they can. And zara is just riding the wave, because why not? Decathlon has different policy though, so stuff might be cheaper there than what we are used to.