DECATHLON : the Importance of Services

Recent developments in consumer behaviour and the intensity of competition from electronic sales mean that DECATHLON needs to review its sales and marketing strategies.
Players on the sports goods market must innovate in order to persuade customers to visit their sales outlets, make their purchases there and come back regularly.
In short, DECATHLON must make best use of its physical ('bricks and mortar') stores to create a relationship with its clients, and thus reinforce their loyalty to the store, and even their commitment to the brand.
One of the opportunities for development lies in optimizing DECATHLON's business package available to clients, via improvements in services.
The DECATHLON company calls upon your services as a marketing consultant. Senior management would like you to submit to them, in the shortest possible time:
1. your diagnosis, or critical analysis, of the brand DECATHLON in terms of the trends in its environment (macro environment, direct and indirect competition, and analysis of demand),
2. your recommendations as to the strategic directions they should follow, and
3. your marketing action plan, which must be realistic, specific and detailed. It must also be financed, in ways which are appropriate to the proposed new orientations, and geared towards developing the range of services which DECATHLON makes available to its customers.
The case itself comes complete with teaching notes, and a comprehensive analysis, in powerpoint format, which gives
- recommendations as to how to approach the issues faced in the students' task,
- references to the basics of corporate strategy, marketing, especially the marketing of services, and
- suggestions for an oral presentation of the results.
Finally the pack contains a DVD made by the DECATHLON (OXYLANE) company, outlining the future objectives and strategy of the company (Company Project 2019).

After completing the case study students should be able:
- to comprehend the different stages of marketing analysis:
- data synthesis and analysis;
- using analysis tools for internal/external diagnosis (analysing the macro-environment via the PESTEL model, analysing competitive intensity via the 5 Porter forces model, and creating a "dynamic" SWOT matrix).
- to identify a change in strategy and marketing mix for a retailer, in terms of service design, by using both business strategy tools (Ansoff matrix) and service marketing (experience design and service marketing).
- to focus recommendations at an operational level on service offer in a multi-channel context..

Service Marketing- Retailing- Multi-canal context - Concept of Service Flower - Experience design- Marketing diagnosis -the SWOT matrix - The Ansoff Matrix- the Pestel model - the PORTER competitive intensity model

- IUT - Master - ESC - IAE - Continuing (post-experience) education
Necessary pre-requisites:
- Marketing fundamentals (approach / strategy / mix elements),
- Marketing diagnosis tools, and
- Basic knowledge of store marketing and management.

Design, manufacture and retail distribution of sports goods

This case study was designed in partnership with the DECATHLON company.
The case may be organised into two sections (diagnostic and recommendations)(3hours).
For the full version:
- (two days), case preparation of the trainees (one day) , presentations and case review (one day)
- linear sessions : case divided into several weekly sessions.
The case itself comes complete with teaching notes, and a comprehensive analysis, ( 101 slides debriefing) which gives
-      recommendations as to how to approach the issues faced in the students' task,
-      references to the basics of corporate strategy, marketing, especially the marketing of services, and
-      suggestions for an oral presentation of the results.
Finally the pack contains a DVD made by the DECATHLON (OXYLANE) company, outlining the future objectives and strategy of the company (Company Project 2019) - subtitled in English.
French version of the case also available : M1727

Année de la problématique : 2010

Livraison : Livraison du CD-Rom/DVD/Vidéo par voie postale

Nombre de pages : 49 avec 27 page(s) annexe(s)

Temps d'utilisation : de 4 à 6 heures

Code du secteur d'activité : 92 - Activités récréatives, culturelles et sportives