At Decathlon UK, we offer Careers That Let You Play. As part of the DECATHLON Group, one of the world's largest sports retailers headquartered in France, we specialise in creating sports products and distributing them through online and physical stores across 56 countries with over 1,700 locations. With over 40+ stores in the UK, our mission is to be the spirited cheerleaders of sports and healthier living in the nation!

The job: 

As our Outdoor Category Manager, you will drive the growth of Decathlon UK’s market share for Outdoor Sports by developing innovative cross-channel commercial strategies and experiences, with a special focus on promoting active lifestyles across and incorporating sustainable alternatives into the business model.

Your responsibilities: 

1. Increase Market Share with Adapted UK Sport Commercial Policy:

   - Develop strategies aligned with UK Sport Commercial Policy to increase market share.

   - Analyse market trends and competitors in outdoor sports to identify growth opportunities.

   - Identify areas for growth in online and physical business channels.

   - Construct a National Commercial Policy aligned with UK and United strategies.

   - Manage commercial action plans to recruit and retain customers.

   - Collaborate cross-functionally to enhance awareness and increase footfall.

   - Ensure strategy implementation across Decathlon UK through seminars and relationship building.

2. Ensure the Best Offer via the Most Profitable Channel:

   - Construct appropriate product and service offers for each channel.

   - Source local market gaps and customer needs.

   - Implement UK pricing strategy, adapting to competition and market dynamics.

   - Ensure price flexibility and adaptability.

   - Coordinate activities with Retail Suppliers and Supply Leaders.

   - Ensure online availability commitments are met.

3. Positively Impact the Planet and People through a Circular Economy:

   - Integrate circular, sustainable, and social strategies into projects.

   - Build repair offers and improve after-sales spare parts availability.

   - Collaborate to promote sustainable solutions and increase product lifespan.

   - Generate partnerships to positively impact communities.

   - Develop long-term strategies aligned with city planning and sustainability goals.

4. Animate a Network of Experts for Value/Price Perception and Customer Experience:

   - Ensure training supports are available to promote brand notoriety.

   - Assess and improve in-store customer experience.

SO IF YOU…

• Have a passion for Outdoor Sports and a good understanding of the UK market.

• You have experience in digital with a keen interest in technology

• Have excellent interpersonal skills and can collaborate effectively with stakeholders at all levels of the organisation.

• Are data-driven: possessing a strong sense of analysis and forecasting.

• Have exceptional presentation skills, with the ability to convey ideas persuasively.

• Demonstrate strong organisational and prioritisation skills, ensuring that all tasks are oriented towards serving our customers.

• Are ambitious, passionate, and curious, consistently bringing forth new ideas and opportunities.

Specific requirements/Work environment:

 This is a hybrid role and would require the successful candidate to attend at least three days a week in one of our Offices in London (Surrey Quays) or Manchester (Stockport).

Benefits that await you 

Get to enjoy the following benefits and perks:

• Hybrid working 

• Healthy employee discount on all Decathlon products

• Weekly Staff Sports/Activities and free access to our office gym

• Cycle-to-Work Scheme

• Access to private healthcare

• Gym, food, and travel discounts 

… and many more

ABOUT DECATHLON UK 

We’re an international sports retailer with 2080 stores in 56 countries, and if you look a little closer, you’ll see we’re so much more.

Decathlon is dedicated to helping, inspiring and guiding you through your sports experiences. We believe that discovering new sports and being sporty – well, it’s an important part of life – and living well shouldn’t just be for a privileged few.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

As a Department Manager, you will be required to work usual retail hours including evenings and weekends.

ABOUT DECATHLON

International. Lovers of sports. Team players. Stronger together through our love of sports. At Decathlon UK, we provide Careers That Let You Play. We are driven by our mission to help more people in the UK get physically active and healthy. We are a part of the DECATHLON Group, one of the world’s leading sporting goods retailers. Headquartered in France, DECATHLON specializes in the creation of sports products and their distribution online and in stores at more than 1,700 locations in 61 countries. In the UK, it has over 50 stores nationwide and an e-commerce site that caters to nationwide delivery.

We’re an international sports retailer with 2080 stores in 56 countries, and if you look a little closer, you’ll see we’re so much more. Decathlon is dedicated to helping, inspiring and guiding you through your sports experiences. We believe that discovering new sports and being active – well, it’s an important part of life – and living well shouldn’t just be for a privileged few.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

As a Department Manager, you will be required to work usual retail hours including evenings and weekends.

ABOUT DECATHLON

International. Lovers of sports. Team players. Stronger together through our love of sports. At Decathlon UK, we provide Careers That Let You Play. We are driven by our mission to help more people in the UK get physically active and healthy. We are a part of the DECATHLON Group, one of the world’s leading sporting goods retailers. Headquartered in France, DECATHLON specializes in the creation of sports products and their distribution online and in stores at more than 1,700 locations in 61 countries. In the UK, it has over 50 stores nationwide and an e-commerce site that caters to nationwide delivery.

We’re an international sports retailer with 2080 stores in 56 countries, and if you look a little closer, you’ll see we’re so much more. Decathlon is dedicated to helping, inspiring and guiding you through your sports experiences. We believe that discovering new sports and being active – well, it’s an important part of life – and living well shouldn’t just be for a privileged few.

ABOUT CITY

Reading is one of the fastest growing towns in England due to its ideal location: out of London but still very well connected to it (tube/train) and to the rest of the UK (rail).  With a population of 350,000 people in the catchment area, it is the largest town in the UK and is considered one of the 10 priority areas for Decathlon UK's development.

The town is surrounded by beautiful waterways and forests, making it an ideal destination for outdoor enthusiasts. Additionally, for those who love to travel, Heathrow and Gatwick airports are easily accessible from Reading.

ABOUT DECATHLON READING 

Decathlon Reading is a store with a unique location that combines a City Centre and Retail Park. The store covers an area of 2000 square meters and is located only a 15-minute walk away from the high street. 

The team comprises 25-30 teammates, including 4 Department Managers and 1OPS. A forecasted physical TO of £8.3M with a Commercial Policy built around Skiing,  Team sports and Junior department.  Our core customers are Easy Active: Young professionals with kids.

Department Manager  Fitness 

The Fitness Department Manager will be responsible for overseeing the fitness department's operations, ensuring a high level of customer service, managing inventory, and leading a team of sales associates. This role requires a passion for fitness, strong leadership skills, and a commitment to driving sales and customer satisfaction within the fitness department. It is a great opportunity for a Sports advisor or Department manager in training, who is motivated to join a challenging project.

What you will do as a Department Manager

• Co-work with the store team to ensure that 100% of your teammates are delighted to come to work

• Focused on the Shop Floor

• Reach 100% user and customer satisfaction

• Create an environment for the team to perform and meet their full potential

• Recruit, train, and develop the team

• Ensure the safety of the team and customers at all times

• Meet and increase the committed performance of the store through an omnichannel project

• Develop an omnichannel strategy for the local market

• Lead commercial projects in your store, offer the best in-store experience and service for our sports users

• Empower, develop and manage the teams in store through strong, consistent human projects

Perfect our sustainability strategies and act for the planet.

Who are you? 

If you’re up for this exciting challenge, align with your manager and apply before 21ST JULY

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

As a Department Manager, you will be required to work usual retail hours including evenings and weekends.

ABOUT DECATHLON

International. Lovers of sports. Team players. Stronger together through our love of sports. At Decathlon UK, we provide Careers That Let You Play. We are driven by our mission to help more people in the UK get physically active and healthy. We are a part of the DECATHLON Group, one of the world’s leading sporting goods retailers. Headquartered in France, DECATHLON specializes in the creation of sports products and their distribution online and in stores at more than 1,700 locations in 61 countries. In the UK, it has over 50 stores nationwide and an e-commerce site that caters to nationwide delivery.

We’re an international sports retailer with 2080 stores in 56 countries, and if you look a little closer, you’ll see we’re so much more. Decathlon is dedicated to helping, inspiring and guiding you through your sports experiences. We believe that discovering new sports and being active – well, it’s an important part of life – and living well shouldn’t just be for a privileged few.

Store life is full of energy where no two days are the same, you’ll be sure to face some challenges but with the support of your team we guarantee that you will surpass even your own expectations. Here are parts of the role where you can make the biggest difference in:

• People practices, including; recruitment, training and development.
• Leadership
• Market research
• Economic analysis and projection
• Financial management
• Commercial merchandising
• Project management

  Sound good so far? If so, here's the type of person we're looking for...

 Who are you?

• An energetic self-starter with strong leadership skills and a love for sport!
• People centered, with a sense of service to help others.
• A game changer who can rethink and reinvent retail.
• A motivational person who nurtures the development of others.

BENEFITS

Get to enjoy the following benefits and perks:

• Yearly pay evaluations with monthly check-in’s

• Teammate bonus scheme

• Pension contribution

• Healthy discounts on all Decathlon goodies and services

• Fun weekly Staff Sports/Activities

• Pedal your way to work with the Cycle-to-Work Scheme

• Dive into top-notch training at Decathlon Academy with a catalog of physical training courses available

• Dive into hundreds of discount vouchers (think groceries, travel, shopping, and more!) with our discount hub developed by SmartSpending!

• A career pathway that is designed by you

• Being part of a team that enjoys the repairing

If you’re ready to turn your passion for sports into a career, join us for a thrilling 18-month graduate placement where you'll be immersed in sports retail. This is not your typical 9-to-5 desk job; this is an opportunity to be on the front lines, inspiring customers and helping them discover their sports.

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The Role

MONTH 1-2: Induction as Sport Advisor (Sales Assistant) 
Upon crossing the starting line, you will begin as a Decathlon Sport Advisor to learn about Decathlon through a deeper lens and understand the fundamentals of the Company such as our values, culture, and overall strategy. This is also the point where you master the shop floor’s processes, rules, and standards such as customer service, deliveries, layout, and more. At Decathlon, we believe that the greatest leaders are doers and so the mastery of the fundamentals will be integral in your success within the project! 

MONTH 2-9: Your journey to becoming a Department Manager 
Now that you’ve mastered the shopping playground, it’s time for you to embark on managerial duties! This stage will let you discover and learn about a sport department’s functions to prepare you for becoming a department manager. You will touch on the basics of management such as talent acquisition, management fundamentals of Decathlon, commercial dynamism, understanding economic performances, product and stock management, customer satisfaction, store operations, and learning to lead and train. You will also begin to work on your mid to long-term career trajectory and mission in the Company. 

MONTH 9-18:Your journey to becoming a Store Manager
Now your role will be to support the Store Manager in accelerating the business’ growth by developing and following your local store project. Both operational and strategic, this role will allow you to advance within the business management spectrum by learning how to lead and animate monthly debriefs within your team, planning and forecasting your manpower, and hosting efficient meetings.
Once you complete the programme, your performance and development will be evaluated to understand if you will need more time to train on specific topics or if you could be ready to be the next leader to champion a store!
The goal at this stage is to be a Decathlon Store Manager sometime between Month 12 to Month 18.

Highlights of the programme 

• Comprehensive Training: Receive in-depth training on our products, brand philosophy, and customer-centric approach.
• Mentorship: Benefit from guidance and mentorship from experienced professionals who are passionate about sport and retail.
• Networking Opportunities: Connect with local and international industry experts and fellow sports enthusiasts at workshops, events, and conferences.
• Career Development: Gain valuable skills and experience that will open doors for future opportunities within our company and beyond.

The player we’re looking for:

At Decathlon, we all play to win and your development is no game to us. To succeed in this program, we will need you to: 

• Have a genuine passion for sports and a desire to share that passion with others.
• Be able to communicate effectively and build relationships with a diverse group of teammates 
• Be able to thrive in a dynamic and high-paced team environment 
• Be able to play with a team and have the willingness to learn and adapt 
• Be able to adapt or have a proactive and can-do attitude 
• Be able to demonstrate leadership skills 

Specific eligibility:

• Graduated within the past 2 years with a 2:2 degree in any discipline
• Availability on weekends and holidays, this is essential for the dynamic nature of a retail role 
• Fully Mobile to relocate within the Norther England and Scotland 
• Have the right to work in the UK (we cannot sponsor graduates at the moment)
   

Perks waiting for you: 

🎁 Play your favourite sport regularly. This is a passion-meets-profession opportunity! 
🎁Up to 28 days holiday with the option to carry over a maximum of five days each year
🎁Healthy employee discount on all Decathlon products
🎁24/7 Mental, physical, and financial wellbeing support through our Employee Assistance Programme 
🎁Cycle-to-Work Scheme
🎁Gym, food, and travel discounts 
🎁Intensive training and development opportunities 
… and more
 

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

As a Department Manager, you will be required to work usual retail hours including evenings and weekends.

ABOUT DECATHLON

International. Lovers of sports. Team players. Stronger together through our love of sports. At Decathlon UK, we provide Careers That Let You Play. We are driven by our mission to help more people in the UK get physically active and healthy. We are a part of the DECATHLON Group, one of the world’s leading sporting goods retailers. Headquartered in France, DECATHLON specializes in the creation of sports products and their distribution online and in stores at more than 1,700 locations in 61 countries. In the UK, it has over 50 stores nationwide and an e-commerce site that caters to nationwide delivery.

We’re an international sports retailer with 2080 stores in 56 countries, and if you look a little closer, you’ll see we’re so much more. Decathlon is dedicated to helping, inspiring and guiding you through your sports experiences. We believe that discovering new sports and being active – well, it’s an important part of life – and living well shouldn’t just be for a privileged few.