Decathlon brings the first store featuring the new concept and brand identity to Coresi Brașov in Romania, assisted by Nhood Romania

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Brașov, 2024 – Nhood Romania has assisted Decathlon, Europe’s leading sporting goods retailer, in relocating its Brașov store to a modern new location within the Coresi platform, right next to Coresi Shopping Resort. Nhood Romania oversaw the construction of the store and will continue to manage it under a mandate from Ceetrus. This ambitious project marks a significant transformation, as Decathlon Brașov becomes the first of the brand’s 31 stores in Romania to adopt the latest global concept, launched in March 2024. The new Decathlon identity, from the logo to interior design and product display, is now also present in Brașov.

This transformation aligns the Brașov store with the first locations worldwide, such as those in Paris, London, and Brussels, which have already implemented the new identity, offering customers an immersive shopping experience, regardless of their level of sports practice. The new store layout, designed by Nhood Romania, features a circular floor plan – the first of its kind in Decathlon Romania – ensuring intuitive navigation and increased visibility for products spanning over 80 sports.

The showroom will display products to create an interactive experience. Key areas such as the reception, click-and-collect service, workshop, and fitting rooms are highlighted in blue, ensuring easy and quick orientation.

“We are constantly focused on how our customers interact with Decathlon stores. In Brașov, we have operated in the same location since 2010, and the number of people interested in our products has grown steadily. To provide them with a more suitable space and to implement the new design, we have expanded the store’s surface, adapting it to our customers’ needs. Customer interaction now goes beyond the product itself, and we have reimagined our processes, products, and materials in a more sustainable way,” said Alex Domșa, Expansion Director at Decathlon Romania.

“We are delighted about our partnership with Decathlon. The new store, covering 4,200 sqm near Coresi Shopping Resort, enhances the shopping experience and meets the expectations of visitors and the Coresi District community. Nhood continues to develop the Coresi District and the commercial area by enriching the retail mix with new brands,” said Ruxandra Dragomir, Head of Development at Nhood Romania.

From the very beginning, Nhood designed the store to seamlessly integrate physical and digital elements, making product exploration and comparison easier. Among the services offered are a workshop for product maintenance and repair, as well as the click-and-collect service for in-store pickup of online orders. In line with Decathlon’s circular economy strategy, customers will also find the Buy Back program and refurbished products. In its new Brașov location, Decathlon now has an expanded sales area of 3,820 square meters, compared to the previous 2,568 square meters, along with easy-to-use self-checkout kiosks. The store’s team will consist of 70 employees, ready to provide an excellent customer experience.

“The reopening of the Brașov store with the new design brings a more dynamic and interactive shopping experience. We are excited to offer our customers a modern and well-organized space that better meets their needs and expectations. We believe this new format will transform how customers discover and use our products,” said Daniel Berechet, Store Manager of Decathlon Brașov.

Decathlon launched its new brand identity and futuristic new logo, resembling an orbit, in March this year.

The grand opening of the new Decathlon store in Brașov, in partnership with Nhood Romania, was attended by company representatives, local officials, media representatives, and sports enthusiasts from the local community.

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ABOUT DECATHLON ROMÂNIA

Decathlon, Europe’s leading sporting goods retailer, currently operates 31 stores nationwide, along with an online platform and the Decathlon app. It has been present in Romania’s sports retail market since 2009, with approximately 1,600 team members as of 2023.

Decathlon provides sports enthusiasts with equipment and accessories for more than 80 sports, adhering to the highest standards of quality and innovation while maintaining its strategic goal of encouraging people to embrace the wonders of sports by offering great value for money.

The stores feature products from Decathlon’s own brands, such as Quechua, Btwin, Domyos, Tribord, Van Rysel, Kiprun, and Solognac, alongside international brands, catering to beginners, advanced athletes, and professionals alike. Since 2005, Decathlon has collaborated with industrial manufacturers to produce private-label products in Romania for hiking, trekking, and climbing (footwear), as well as cycling (textile articles and bicycles for adults and children), which are sold across Europe under the “Made in Romania” label.

ABOUT NHOOD SERVICES ROMÂNIA:

Nhood Services Romania is an integrated real estate services company specializing in the operation and commercialization of mixed-use projects and in the asset management and development of sustainable, urban regeneration projects. Acting on behalf of asset owners, Nhood offers a wide range of services aimed at retail, residential, office spaces and community hubs, with the goal of transforming existing spaces into vibrant and attractive places, with a positive impact on the environment, society and the economy.

Nhood operates across three lines of business: Property & Asset Services, Resources & Fund Investment, and Development, as part of the Ceetrus and Nodi ecosystem. In Romania, it manages 25 mandates for retail and office spaces (including leasing), a business park – Coresi Business Campus, a residential project – Coresi AvantGarden, and 21 retail locations nationwide – Auchan shopping centers, including Coresi Shopping Resort. The company collaborates with over 15 clients (including Ceetrus and Auchan) and manages Coresi District, the largest urban regeneration project in Romania.

Nhood brings together the real estate expertise and knowledge of over 1,300 professionals across 11 countries, to regenerate and transform an initial portfolio of nearly 300 shopping centers in Europe, with a development potential of 30,000 residential units within 40 real estate projects. Nhood’s managed assets are valued at over 8 billion euros.