Decathlon and the AI Factory: turning data into performance

Decathlon, the Quiet Pioneer of AI in Retail

In the retail world, some brands move quietly—yet far ahead. Decathlon is one of them. While often recognized for its affordable products and sporting innovation, it also stands as one of Europe’s most advanced companies when it comes to leveraging data at scale.

Far from flashy announcements, Decathlon has spent years building a solid data infrastructure, a product-driven and empowering internal culture, and a customer-centric, field-ready approach to artificial intelligence.

Let’s take a closer look at the foundations of this strategy—and what your business can learn from it.

As early as the 2010s—when most retailers were still taking their first steps into e-commerce—Decathlon was laying the foundations of a truly data-first organization. Three structural decisions explain its current lead:
- Early investment in internal teams: Data scientists, analysts, and engineers were embedded directly into business units—not isolated in IT departments.
- Advanced cloud infrastructure: Centralized, modern, and scalable—built to absorb high data volumes and make them available in real time.
- Distributed data governance: Using a “data mesh” model, each entity (country, product category, channel) owns and manages its data. This enables fast decision-making and agility while maintaining a global overview.

The result: an organization capable of acting locally while thinking globally—a rare feat in the retail sector, where technical and geographical silos often block execution.
But structuring data is only the first step. To create real impact, it must be activated in service of the customer, the field, and business performance.
This is precisely the mission of Decathlon’s AI Factory: a dedicated unit created to transform data into tangible, scalable digital products.

Decathlon and the AI Factory: when data becomes a performance engine

In a world where data is the new oil, some companies are showing the way. Decathlon, the global leader in sporting goods, is one of those that knows how to turn the abundance of information—gathered from customers, products, and stores—into concrete levers for performance.

Without necessarily labeling it as such, Decathlon has built what can be described as an AI Factory: an internal structure designed to collect, centralize, and most importantly, extract value from data at scale.

Data serving performance

What’s striking about Decathlon is not just the breadth of its product offering or its global presence—it’s the company’s ability to leverage technology to enhance customer experience and internal efficiency.

The AI Factory, or what resembles that model, is not just an “algorithm lab.” It’s a framework that connects every part of the organization through data.

For employees, teams are better equipped to understand customer behaviors, anticipate needs, automate repetitive tasks, and focus on human connection.
For customers, the experience is more seamless: smarter product recommendations, optimized availability, and more personalized support. The shopper feels understood and guided—not lost in a massive catalog.
For the business, this translates into greater operational efficiency and long-term customer satisfaction—both driving sustainable growth.

Put simply, data becomes a virtuous cycle: what improves customer experience fuels internal performance, which in turn further elevates that experience.

How Decathlon uses its data

Optimize logistics and product availability: By anticipating stock shortages, the company reduces out-of-stock issues and improves satisfaction.
Personalize customer relationships: From tailored product recommendations to more relevant emails and usage-based offers.
Enhance service in-store and online: From real-time advisor availability to product selection, the customer journey is better supported.
Accelerate product innovation: By analyzing customer feedback, usage patterns, and trends to design new, more relevant gear.
Strengthen sustainability efforts: Using data to reduce returns, extend product life, and streamline second-hand logistics.
These examples are far from exhaustive—but they reveal one essential truth: with the right data architecture, performance goes beyond profitability. It becomes more human, more sustainable, and more collaborative.

What can your brand learn from this?

Many companies aspire to reach this level of data maturity. But between aspiration and execution, the path can seem long. The good news? You don’t need to be the size of Decathlon to start building momentum.

Here are three actionable steps you can take today:

Start small, but make it count: Focus on a concrete business use case with direct impact — such as better customer targeting, reducing stockouts, or improving your conversion rate.
Empower your teams: AI and data are not here to replace people — they are here to enhance them. Provide your teams with simple tools that truly support their daily work.
Build a step-by-step vision: An “AI Factory” doesn’t appear overnight. It’s built brick by brick — aligning strategy, processes, and technology over time.

And this is exactly where the right support makes all the difference.
At Horrea, we see every day how companies — large and small — can unlock value from their data when guided by a clear, results-oriented methodology.

You can go at it alone.
But moving forward with a partner who has already mapped the journey means saving time, securing your investments, and accelerating your transformation.

To conclude : perform or be left behind

The Decathlon case isn’t just a tech showcase — it’s a business proof point: owning your data means owning your growth. Failing to do so means leaving space for your competitors to take the lead.

An AI Factory is less about technology and more about vision.
And in this race, there are those who are building now — and those who will be left behind.

So, where does your company stand on unlocking the full value of its data?