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Decathlon to launch "Second Life Marketplace" selling refurbished bikes in storesDecathlon Belfast

Decathlon to launch "Second Life Marketplace" selling refurbished bikes in stores

Firm is also set to offer customers a buy-back option on its old bikes
by Alex Bowden
Fri, Jan 29, 2021 13:42
8

Decathlon has announced plans for a “Second Life Marketplace,” in its stores where refurbished second-hand bikes will be available for purchase. “Nothing will go to waste,” said the firm’s appropriately-named UK cycling leader, Pete Lazarus, when outlining the plans.

“The Decathlon Second Life Marketplace is due this year across Europe and it will apply to adult and kids’ bikes,” Lazarus told Cycling Industry News. “The idea is to generate more of a circular economy and various options will be available to customers who may wish to cycle but also not buy new every time.”

In June of last year, Decathlon UK CEO Eric Mazilier had to apologise for bike shortages following very high demand during the first lockdown.

The firm said this wasn’t a direct motivation for the new plans, but the move should still help reduce the impact of any future supply chain issues.

“We as a company are looking to recycle parts where possible,” said Lazarus. “If we get a defective bike it’s an option to strip it down and re-use the working parts. For the customer, it’s an option to participate in upcycling work and save money. There will be a much bigger effort to repair over replacement where possible.”

He continued: “Sometimes wheels, for example, may be buckled in transit. These will be switched out, perhaps even with better wheels and the old ones will be repaired. The key is that nothing will go to waste and the bikes sold will be given a full [pre-delivery inspection] and safety check before they’re displayed and they’ll carry a warranty.”

The firm is also set to offer customers a buy-back option on old Decathlon bikes, in exchange for money or vouchers to spend in store.

Decathlon
second-hand bikes
Alex Bowden

Alex has written for more cricket publications than the rest of the road.cc team combined. Despite the apparent evidence of this picture, he doesn't especially like cake.

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8 comments

Avatar
brooksby | 3 years ago
3 likes

I read the headline on this and thought Decathlon were colonising early noughties cyberspace...

Avatar
Cycloid | 3 years ago
2 likes

What a lovely Green, Environmentally Friendly idea, I hate our "Throw Away" society

It must be a logistical nightmare. How do you source spare parts? A bike comes in with a sh*gg*d out 1990s nine speed Dura Ace transmission that needs replacing, do you replace it like for like, ("we have one taken off a bike in Lyon that has a few miles left in it) or upgrade to a new twelve speed (105, Ultegra, Dura Ace?), which will probably mean replacing a perfectly good crankset  and shifters, or downgrade so that you finish up with a clunky new transmission on a quality machine?

Your LBS can probably keep your old bike going, but it is not always easy for them to do it even on a one off basis, they have to do a lot of mix and match.

Decathlon is of course a multinational business that needs the economies of scale to keep going, I don't see how this fits in with their model.

I do hope it comes off though

Avatar
EK Spinner replied to Cycloid | 3 years ago
2 likes

or alternatively a multinational company trying to take away the USP of small bike shops and bike recycling charities, where they can do it bigger and better than thesmall operators.

Already these small places struggle to get a decent part of the retail market and have survived on either the high end stuff (small sales, higher margin) or on trade ins and maintenance work.

Avatar
KoenM replied to EK Spinner | 3 years ago
2 likes

EK Spinner wrote:

or alternatively a multinational company trying to take away the USP of small bike shops and bike recycling charities, where they can do it bigger and better than thesmall operators.

Already these small places struggle to get a decent part of the retail market and have survived on either the high end stuff (small sales, higher margin) or on trade ins and maintenance work.

Don't think this will happen, from what I understand they will only fix (and/or refurbish) bikes from their own brand.
And In Belgium there are A LOT (I've experienced it myself) of bikeshops where they don't fix your bike when u buy it from an online store (Canyon, Rose, Decathlon,...) so that revenue they wont lose. Yeah it's not smart from them but it really happens, I've been turned down by 2 bike shops when I had a problem with my Rose!

Avatar
KiwiMike replied to KoenM | 3 years ago
0 likes

Any bikeshop that refuses to service sold-online bikes actually deserves to go broke. 

They have NFC whether you purchased it new, used or were given it as a gift.

Avatar
Captain Badger replied to KiwiMike | 3 years ago
0 likes

KiwiMike wrote:

Any bikeshop that refuses to service sold-online bikes actually deserves to go broke. 

They have NFC whether you purchased it new, used or were given it as a gift.

Clearly you are right, however, I at least sympathise with the frustration at spending time giving advice to folk, only for those people then to buy cheaper online.

I know that it's not the case for many people, and some bikes are only available that way,but it must still feel quite personal to taken for a mug like that.

Emotional response aside and going for pragmatism they are indeed shooting themselves in the foot by turning away business, and not showing themselves as approachable. It would seem that the adapt and survive rationale would serve them well - if you can't compete on selling bikes, your focus needs to be on other lines such as maintenance.

Avatar
kil0ran replied to KiwiMike | 3 years ago
0 likes

My preferred LBS will happily fix anything I give them because most of the profit is in the labour, not the parts. They can't supply and then also fit secondhand parts themselves, but they don't mind fitting it if I've sourced it off eBay/Gumtree/wherever. With supply shortages as they are, it's often the only quick option.

Avatar
KoenM replied to Cycloid | 3 years ago
0 likes

Isn't it Decathlon only bikes that they will refurbish? And I guess they hope the bicycling craze keeps going so they can sell you at least a refurbished bike if nothing else is available (happens a lot the last few years), if they don't have a bike they can't sell you one.

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