Decathlon Set to Open New Store in San Francisco, Announces Partnership with the SF Giants

SAN FRANCISCO, Calif. (November 12, 2019) – Decathlon, the world’s largest sporting goods retailer, is set to open its newest brick-and-mortar store in the Bay Area. The new store — located in the Potrero Center shopping mall at the corner of 16th Street and Bryant Street — was the original location of Seals Stadium, which was the first home of the San Francisco Giants.

The 38,370 square-foot sports experiential retail center will feature product testing zones and a community area, in addition to Decathlon’s quality, affordable sports gear and equipment, designed, tested and created by Decathlon. The store will also feature expanded technology-driven shopping solutions that aim to make the customer experience more enjoyable and convenient. Decathlon’s innovative tech includes mobile checkout, endless aisle kiosks, a robot handling inventory count and RFID tags.

“We’re proud to offer the widest selection of sporting goods in the Bay Area in our stores and online,” said Michel d’Humières, CEO of Decathlon USA. “It is clear that local residents have a joyful and as-yet untapped desire to play, and at Decathlon, that is our mission: to inspire joy and make sports accessible to everyone.”

Decathlon will honor the rich sports history of the Potrero Center site with a plaque marking the location of home plate at the historic Seals Stadium. The newest store and its location are also serendipitously linked to an exciting new partnership between Decathlon and the San Francisco Giants.

“The Giants are proud to partner with Decathlon and to introduce our fans to a new member of the San Francisco community whose mission is to provide high quality sports gear that is accessible to all who choose to play or participate in a sport,” said Jason Pearl, Giants Senior Vice President of Partnerships & Business Development. “It’s also exciting to know that the site we once called home is now Decathlon’s first home in San Francisco. We look forward to creating unique and memorable sports experiences with Decathlon throughout the Bay Area and beyond.”

Decathlon’s new store at the Potrero Center opens to the public on Friday, November 15th, with special events, music, prizes and giveaways lasting through the weekend. Members of the community are encouraged to RSVP for a free backpack and chances to win prizes at decathlon.vip/grandopening. All prizes must be collected at the new Potrero Center store location.

About Decathlon 

Since its founding in 1976 in France, Decathlon has been making sports more accessible to everyone with high quality, affordable sports gear and equipment. Decathlon designs, innovates and produces its own products, exclusively available in Decathlon’s points of sales. With over 1,600 stores worldwide and a presence in 55 countries, Decathlon is a leading sporting goods retailer and brand. For more information about Decathlon, visit www.decathlon.com and use @DecathlonUSA on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.

About the San Francisco Giants 

One of the oldest teams in Major League Baseball, the 137-year old franchise moved to San Francisco from New York in 1958. After playing a total of 42 years in Seals Stadium and Candlestick Park, the team moved to the privately constructed, downtown ballpark on the corner of 3rd and King. 2019 marks the Giants 20th season playing on the shores of McCovey Cove at the newly named Oracle Park. The organization is widely recognized for its innovative business practices and baseball excellence. In 2010, the franchise was named the Sports Organization of the Year by Street & Smith’s Sports Business Journal and in 2012 was named Organization of the Year by Baseball America. Oracle Park is also the only ballpark in the country to have earned Silver, Gold and Platinum LEED certification for an existing building.

Since opening its gates, Oracle Park has become internationally-renowned as a premier venue in the world of both sports and entertainment. On the diamond, more than 59 million spectators have witnessed a number of magical moments, including three World Series Championships (2010, 2012 & 2014), the raising of four National League Pennants and seven playoff appearances. On June 13, 2012, the organization’s first-ever Perfect Game was thrown by Giants ace Matt Cain. On July 10, 2007, San Francisco was the center of the baseball universe when it hosted the 78th Major League Baseball All-Star Game. The ballpark has played host to some of music’s biggest acts, including Lady Gaga, Beyoncé & Jay Z, Ed Sheeran, the Rolling Stones, the Eagles, Bruce Springsteen and the E-Street Band, Green Day and Billy Joel. It also was the site of the 2018 Rugby World Cup Sevens.

Off the field, the Giants have one of the premier community outreach programs in professional sports. Through its community outreach programs, the Giants and the Giants Community Fund work with corporate and non-profit partners to raise awareness, educate and generate interest in a variety of issues important to both their fans and community. These issues include education/literacy, violence prevention, health and youth recreation and fitness. The Giants Community Fund’s Junior Giants Baseball Program received the 2015 Commissioner’s Award for Philanthropic Excellence and the San Francisco Giants were named ESPN Sports Humanitarian Team of the Year in July of 2016.