France-based Decathlon has invested in an online bicycle start-up which it hopes will give it an edge in accelerating its online development.
The company has acquired shares in Alltricks, a start-up which sells bicycle equipment in six countries: the UK, France, Germany, Italy, Spain and Portugal.
Decathlon’s goal is to tap into Alltricks’ expertise in breadth of supply, delivery times, marketplaces, logistics and customer experience. The acquisition will allow both parties to expand their omnichannel offering, including through Decathlon’s physical store network.
Alltricks offers low prices through placing large bulk orders with suppliers, offering free delivery on orders over €49 from its warehouse in Châteaudun. The company realised 65 million in turnover in 2018. It offers 700,000 items from over 500 brands.
Arnaud Gauquelin, head of Decathlon in France, said: “Our first goal has always been to satisfy athletes of all levels . And among them, cyclists and runners because we share with them this passion for cycling and running. Our desire to stick to their expectations is so strong that it pushes us today to evolve again, to transform ourselves to meet all their desires, all their needs.”
Gary Anssens, CEO of Alltricks, said: “Our anchorage in cycling is historic and we were looking for a committed and passionate partner who looks like us to complete our offer and allow us to better serve our customers and practitioners wherever they are.”
Earlier this month, Decathlon introduced its new sports activity and advice platform, PLAY. The platform shares information on every sport, as well as connecting external gyms, studios and sport classes to their large UK-wide database of active sports people.