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Decathlon partners Carousell to give more second-hand bicycles a new lease of life

SINGAPORE – Sports goods chain Decathlon is expanding its online store for second-hand bicycles in partnership with e-commerce site Carousell.

The expanded scheme builds on a buy-back programme it started in October 2023 that lets users trade in used bikes for a store gift card equivalent to the bicycle’s value, a process that could be done through Decathlon’s website. It then refurbishes and sells the bikes.

The firm will now tap Carousell’s market and enable customers to book an appointment with Decathlon to trade in their bicycles via the Carousell app in exchange for a store gift card.

The bikes will be refurbished and put on sale via Decathlon’s official second-hand store on Carousell, found at @decathlon_secondlife.

“Purchasing from the official Decathlon Carousell store will give customers a sense of security knowing that their bikes have been assessed and refurbished for safety,” said Decathlon on March 20, adding that the bikes will come with a two-year warranty.

The initiative is part of Decathlon’s Second Life programme introduced in Singapore in 2022 that allows shoppers to buy goods that have been returned to Decathlon and refurbished. Decathlon plans to extend the trade-in programme to more sports products.

Decathlon has 15 stores in Singapore and will open another two – one in Pasir Ris in June and one in Choa Chu Kang in August, said Decathlon Singapore chief executive Stephan Veyret.

The retailer employs about 750 people here, with more to come once the new outlets are open.

Mr Veyret told The Straits Times that over 50 per cent of the energy Decathlon uses to create its products is renewable, with the aim of hitting 100 per cent by 2026.

“Instead of selling 10 times more of products, we want to generate 10 times more value from each product to extend the lifespan of our products,” he added.

The firm’s other sustainability efforts include eco-designing its products, such as by using dope-dyed yarn. Dope-dyed yarn integrates the colour pigments into the fibre when manufacturing the thread, rather than having them applied later. This reduces the environmental impact in textile dying, which requires a lot of water.

Mr Veyret said retailing in Singapore is difficult at the moment due to rising prices and the goods and services tax (GST) increase, adding: “The food and beverage industry is struggling as well... People are starting to feel the pinch in their wallets, which means that they’re also more selective of the products they purchase.”

He also noted that Decathlon has not raised its prices since the GST increase on Jan 1.

While this has affected profit margins, it also ensures that sports products are still accessible to consumers.

“As more people are travelling overseas nowadays, products like hiking and water sports equipment are popular among our customers,” he said.

SOURCE: The Straits Times