(AFP) – Franprix and Decathlon announced on Wednesday the deployment this summer of their partnership for urban athletes, which had been tested during confinement, in 16 stores in Paris and its inner suburbs, hoping to extend it in a hundred others in Ile-de-France.
After having partnered last September with the Dutch brand Hema, for a partnership already in the non-food sector, Franprix (Casino group) is adding “a string to its bow” by opening its shelves this week to more than 100 references ” stars “of the Mulliez Family Association’s sporting goods brand: pilates mats, bicycle helmet, pool towel, backpack, socks, etc.
“Decathlon is a known and recognized brand whose values are close to ours: universality, accessibility with 80% of the offer offered in Franprix stores less than or equal to 10 euros, and a certain way of + breaking the codes +” , explained during a press conference Cécile Guillou, general manager of the urban and mainly Ile-de-France brand of Casino.
As for Decathlon, which has already set up “corners” within Auchan hypermarkets (part of the same Mulliez group), in order to extend its “territorial network”, it was “natural” for it to work with Franprix “which practically a store in each street of the capital “, underlined Nicolas Ferrand, his manager of partnerships and innovation for the Ile-de-France.
The offer was therefore designed for urban athletes, with five areas offered: fitness, cycling, running and hiking, swimming and the outdoors.
“The stock is purchased from Decathlon which delivers it to our warehouses”, for easier logistics and this “with a view to future deployment” in potentially a hundred stores in Ile-de-France from September, said Ms. Guillou, out of the 900 that the brand has in France.
The manager, who does not exclude ultimately selling small household appliances or textiles “even if our vocation is to remain a food brand”, assured that she was “in discussions with other brands” to bring in in his stores, “the only thing that could restrict us (being) the place”.
For several months, the fashion of “shops-in-shops” or “stores in stores” has been spreading in distribution: to boost their sales and respond to changes in trade as new consumer consumption trends, moreover in addition, brands are joining forces with others, mixing non-food and food.
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