French sports retailer to close two Bay Area stores

The world’s largest sporting goods retailer is shuttering two Bay Area stores, leaving it without a physical presence in the U.S.

Decathlon said it’s closing stores at 2300 16th Street in San Francisco and 3938 Horton Street across the bay in Emeryville, the San Francisco Chronicle reported. The French company, which shut down a third location, on Market Street, at the beginning of the pandemic, said it would focus on online retail and will sell some products, such as bikes, dumbbells and skis, at Target or Walmart.

“We are changing our business model to adapt to current market conditions and to better meet the needs of our customers,” Christian Ollier, CEO of Decathlon USA, said in a statement.

“It’s clear that our products are well-received in the U.S. market — and we’ve seen record growth over the last few years,” Ollier continued. “However, in order to grow in the right way, we need to adapt and pave the way for the Decathlon of the future.

Abercrombie & Fitch said last month that it would close its Westfield Mall store, at 865 Market Street, because more than half of its revenue comes from online sales. Other stores that closed in the city recently include Gap, Marshalls, H&M, Uniqlo and DSW, although both Chanel and Yves Saint Laurent are making a bet on the Union Square area.

The city of Mountain View, which has also lost retailers due to the pandemic, is considering newly vacant property in the Charleston Plaza shopping center for Covid testing.

Empty storefronts across the Bay Area could hit the region’s economy. Revenue from sales taxes this year will probably be lower than in 2019.

Decathlon, which had planned a larger U.S. expansion when it opened its San Francisco store in 2017, will lay off 32 employees.

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