- Decathlon will buy back or repair customers’ old sports gear in exchange for store credit to give products a second life
- Expansion aims to help customers benefit from over 100 million tennis rackets, weights and tents clogging up lofts and sheds across the UK
Decathlon has expanded its BuyBack scheme to allow customers to declutter their lives and swap out and repair old sporting equipment to give products a second life – and earn store vouchers for doing so.
The initiative, which was first launched at the end of last year across own-brand bicycles, backed by Olympic athletes Jason and Laura Kenny, is now being rolled out across more of Decathlon’s sports categories including fitness equipment, racket sports, water sport items like kayaks and paddleboards and camping gear as there is currently over 100 million unused products stored in homes across Britain which could be put to better use.
To help customers easily swap their old sporting equipment out for new, the process has been made simple with customers asked to complete a quick online assessment and register the return of their eligible product, immediately being provided with a quote. They can then book in a slot to drop their product off at their nearest Decathlon store to receive vouchers provided for up to 40 percent of the valued item, which can be used to purchase a newer set of wheels, racket or home fitness equipment. Decathlon will then refurbish and resell the product to give it a second life.
As part of the service customers can also get sports kits repaired, if faced with wear or tear, at any of Decathlon’s stores nationwide using genuine parts from their extensive inventory of over 5,000 spare parts.
Research commissioned by the sports retailer has revealed that almost a third (29 percent) of British homes have unused sporting equipment stored away, with the most popular items being bicycles (31 percent), weights (29 percent), gym equipment (26 percent), footballs (25 percent), tennis rackets (23 percent) and golf clubs (19 percent).
The initiative forms part of Decathlon’s sustainability expansion to provide a greater circular economy for all its products. BuyBack follows the launch of the retailer’s Rentals initiative last year, which allowed customers to rent a range of sporting gear for as little as £10 a day.
The expansion of the retailer’s Buyback scheme coincides with a busy summer of sport, with the Olympics, Euros and Wimbledon all taking place over the next few months. Further research revealed that 28 percent of people are inspired to take up a new sport this year, to feel part of the events taking place around them, with Decathlon’s BuyBack service enabling customers to easily trial and test a range of sports for a fraction of the usual costs associated.
Chris Allen, Sustainability Leader at Decathlon UK comments: “At Decathlon we’re all about driving participation in sport and we want to encourage this in the most sustainable way possible. BuyBack allows people to realise value from older or unused kit and exchange it for new or refurbished products. With the cost of living still having a huge impact on our customers, we are determined to ensure people are ready to play this summer, whatever the weather.”
Decathlon’s circularity initiative will help sports-lovers keep and maintain their gear for longer, more sustainably. The sports retailer estimates that 800,000 products will be bought-back, resold or revived through the service, with over 1,000 bicycles reported to have been upcycled since the service rolled out in the UK at the end of last year.
