DHL Global Forwarding supports Decathlon's international supply chain

Aug 8, 2019: Decathlon, the French sporting goods giant, has appointed DHL Global Forwarding, to manage its international supply chain operation.

In order to enable Decathlon stores to stock over 22,400 items covering more than 85 different types of sports, both the companies discussed what it takes to operate a multi-national supply chain.

DHL's International Supply Chain services offer comprehensive solution design and project management backed by a global governance structure that guarantees consistency across operations.

Marc Meier, SVP, Global head of International Supply Chain, DHL Global Forwarding said, “DHL Global Forwarding runs a dedicated DHL control tower which provides a single point of contact in Vietnam and Taiwan for Decathlon's operations. Providing full visibility for Decathlon's logistics teams, our control tower services oversee Decathlon's air, sea and road shipments from factories in Vietnam and Taiwan to the world, including Brazil, Canada, China, Colombia, Europe, India, Malaysia, Morocco and Singapore.”

In Vietnam, Decathlon launched two retail stores in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City in 2019 and introduced 70 sports brands. The company collaborates with six business partners across Vietnam to keep prices and lead time competitive for the local market and to reduce carbon footprint.

As a full-fledge logistics partner, DHL Global Forwarding also provides road freight solutions for the brand to transport goods from Vietnam to Cambodia.

Vietnam's attractiveness as a manufacturing hub for the world lies in its geo-strategic location, youthful demographics and abundance of affordable land and labor.

“Decathlon prioritizes the quality of our products and the entire customer experience to ensure we secure our positioning as the go-to retailer of affordable sports apparel, accessories and equipment. While we ramp up on our offline and online presence for the convenience of our customers, we are working hard behind-the-scenes to make sure that our manufacturing and logistics processes can efficiently cater to the demand of our discerning customers,” said Thao Nguyen, head of Procurement and Logistics, Decathlon Vietnam.

“Today's retailers require agile and innovative supply chains to cater to a new generation of customers who demand instant gratification and tap opportunities in emerging markets. With our extensive range of logistics services and expertise in the retail sector, DHL Global Forwarding is well-positioned to support the growth of businesses here,” said Archer Fu, VP, head of Business Development, DHL Global Forwarding Asia Pacific.