Decathlon strengthens digital presence in Malaysia via tie-up with Lazada

Decathlon has tied up with Lazada Malaysia to accelerate its digital presence and support the next leg of its business growth. This is especially in making its sporting goods accessible to customers nationwide and online. The French sporting goods retailer currently has five physical stores and a website in Malaysia.

Decathlon joins LazMall, which offers a dedicated space to get direct access to authentic international and local brands. Lazada recently unveiled a new look for LazMall which accentuates its signature red and black hues. The new logo has a darker red hue compared to the old one, while the word "LazMall" sees a more bolded version. The brand refresh was done in-house by the Lazada team.

Since the COVID-19 pandemic, the brand has offered free shipping through its online webstore. According to Arnaud Sauret, MD of Decathlon, it saw an increase in online shopping for sporting goods during this time.

"As people shift their spending habits to online platforms, we will continue to boost our presence online and tap into the growing market of sporting goods. Lazada is a strong strategic alliance that will help us expand our brand awareness, customer base which is in line with our strategy for sales growth," he added.

Meanwhile, he said the partnership will also give the brand the opportunity to connect with more sporting enthusiasts all over Malaysia. "We believe in the benefits of sports and with our presence in Lazada, we hope to inspire sports enthusiasts and even newbies to achieve great sporting experiences. Being online makes enjoying sports more accessible,” he added.

Lazada Malaysia's CEO, Leo Chow, said purchasing sporting goods online is now more common as the desire for home fitness has taken on a new role since the COVID-19 pandemic.

"With Decathlon on board, we are able to meet the needs of an increasingly growing number of customers on our platform. We hope to provide a seamless shopping experience for all Malaysians to enjoy exclusive deals on quality sporting products," he said. A+M has reached out to Decathlon for additional information on the partnership.

Separately, Decathlon is working with digital marketing agency Elixus for social media management, media buying and email management in Malaysia for a period of six months. The appointment aims to increase Decathlon's brand awareness and position it as the sport reference in Malaysia. Additionally, it looks to partner with Elixus to develop and build its social media community, and continue the lifecycle journey from social media to email marketing via database building and optimisation.

Join us on a three-week journey at Digital Marketing Asia 2020 as we delve into the realm of digital transformation, data and analytics, and mobile and eCommerce from 10 to 26 November. Sign up here!

Related articles:
Decathlon and KIA appoint agency run by former Fave Malaysia CMO
Beyond retail: Meet Decathlon USA in-store robot which influences marketing
Decathlon SG Lab creates experience zones to disrupt 'conventional' retail
Decathlon looks to rapidly expand in Malaysia