Decathlon UK has more than halved its operating losses as targeted investments into price cuts helped to push up sales.
The sporting giant delivered a 9.6% increase in revenues to £285m in the year to December 31, 2025, boosted by a 28.3% surge in its online business.
The retailer attributed the growth to intentionally lowering prices on key product models, which resulted in an overall deflation of -6%.
During the year, Decathlon closed six underperforming stores and modernised its wider estate into “efficient sporting hubs”, with many featuring technical advancements.
This helped to narrow the retailer’s operating loss from £16.6m to £4.2m.
Decathlon said it has continued its pricing initiatives into 2026, implementing an additional 5% reduction on comparable models.
The move has contributed to a 12% growth in total sales for the first five months of 2026, with online and marketplace channels up 25% and in-store sales increasing 3.83%.
Earlier this year, the retailer relocated its Croydon shop and took up space in the local Ikea as part of its store optimisation work.
Decathlon UK and Ireland chief executive Elena Pecos said: “Our latest annual results clearly reflect the strategic progress we have been driving over the past year.
“Every operational change has been made with a single purpose: to build an efficient business model so we can reinvest directly into bringing people together through sport and making well-being accessible across the market.
”Our strong revenue growth proves that British consumers are responding exceptionally well to our renewed brand position and our commitment to value.
“Looking ahead, we will continue to build on this great momentum, pushing boundaries to ensure that, whether we are supporting regular families or equipping expert athletes, wellbeing is firmly within reach for everyone in the UK.”
Decathlon chief financial officer Franck Laden said: “Our FY2025 performance confirms that we have successfully pivoted from a transformation phase into an expansion phase.
“By taking calculated risks with our volume-led ‘Price Drop’ strategy, reorganising our support functions, and rolling out our new store model in Croydon, we have broken away from standard retail stagnation.
“Backed by a massive capital recapitalisation of £83m executed on January 1, 2026, our balance sheet is entirely re-energised to take market share and deliver sustainable growth throughout 2026.”
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