Sports giant Decathlon to open second Irish store in Limerick on Friday, 12th May

The Decathlon Limerick store will officially open on Friday, 12th May and will see 64 new jobs created in the local area

After the hugely successful opening of Decathlon Ballymun in 2020, Decathlon will open its second store in Ireland, located at Parkway Retail Park in Limerick, on Friday, May 12

The store will be open from 11am – 7pm for the opening day, and will then open from 9.30am – 7pm, 7 days a week.

After 18 months of sourcing, Decathlon secured a long-term partnership with Sigma Retail Partners for a 25 year lease on the store, which boasts easy access from Limerick City Centre, University of Limerick and the wider residential area. There will be 400 car spaces offering free parking to customers, free click and collect (within 3 hours of purchase) and next day shipping from the store will also be available. The opening will also see 64 new  jobs created locally. The roles will vary across store management and leaders, operations and ecommerce.

Emanuela Martone, Store Manager at Decathlon Limerick said:

advertisement

advertisement

advertisement

“Decathlon’s aim is to provide a complete sports experience to sports lovers. The brand’s flagship store in Ballymun was built with this idea in mind myself and my teammates are delighted that the Decathlon Limerick Sports Hub will follow the same concept.”

This flagship concept will offer 3,500 sqm of sales area with Decathlon’s full range of own brands for over 70 sports at incredible prices. It will also provide 1,500 sqm of “sport experience zones”, which include a cycling track, football pitch, basketball court and an outdoor area for fitness – all which can be used by Decathlon members for free. Inside the store will feature various testing zones, including a camping showroom and a space to “try before you buy” for some products. Decathlon Limerick will also work closely with local coaches and partners for sports events, the sports community café and logistics.

‘Ampersand’, a sports community café will also be on site, allowing Decathlon members to meet like-minded sports lovers!

Elena Pecos, CEO said:

“We’re so excited to be opening our second store in Ireland. Sports lovers in the area will get the full experience of Decathlon, with affordable products across 70 sports. To underpin our commitment to sustainability, the Limerick store will also have 20% off second-life products, 365-day returns, and free booking of sports facilities.”

Second Life:

Over 1,000 tonnes of basketballs, tennis balls, racquets, snowboards, boots and poles go to landfills each year. These materials are complex, compound items that require special processing to recycle.

Second Life at retailer is an initiative that aims to breathe a second life into lightly used and pre-loved sports equipment e.g. surfboards. And with Decathlon Limerick’s close proximity to so many great surfing locations like Kilkee and Lahinch, Second Life is a great way of being able to experience a new sport, like surfing, without the full financial commitment.  The retailer’s Second Life is just one of the sustainability initiatives that the company hopes will inspire positive change for the planet and its people.

Community Support and Events:

Similarly to the store in Dublin, Decathlon hope to scale the amount and variation of community sports events to help people discover new sports for free. The aim is to have watersports activities such as beginner SUP sessions, an extension of the Dublin store initiative “Deca Hikes” where customers are taken on guided hikes. Customers have the option to meet at the hiking point, but Decathlon will also provide coach transport for those without cars etc – making hiking accessible to all.

DecaPlay Initiative:

Decathlon’s DecaPlay Initiative is a series of Sport Discovery sessions (mini-camps) that take place during school holidays to encourage young children to try new sports. Decathlon provides the space, the equipment and the coach (sometimes teammates, sometimes external) and these sessions take place while parents can discover the store.

Decathlon Limerick will be open from 9.30am – 7pm, 7 days a week. For more information about the new Limerick store, take a look HERE.

Find out more

Read more business stories here.