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Decathlon & Under Armour
Decathlon & Under Armour
Price: Their major target segment consists of players and athletic people, and they
focus more on the functionality aspect pertaining to fabric technology and product
quality rather than the price or even design. That is one of the reasons it is able to price
its products slightly above the industry average as a part of its marketing mix pricing
strategy, as it is considered the market leader in this niche category as people associate
Under Armour with value and excellence, the company still charges comparably to the
similar dry fit technology products from competitive brand houses like Nike and Reebok.
Their pricing tends to be higher compared to mass-market brands. Their pricing also
reflects the aspirational nature of the brand, appealing to consumers who value both
style and functionality in their athletic wear.
Place: : Under Armour has an extensive distribution network that includes their own
physical retail stores with flagship stores located in key cities globally, third-party
retailers, and e-commerce channels. They operate numerous stores globally, with a
strong presence in the United States and key international markets. They also partners
with major sporting goods retailers and department stores to expand their distribution
reach. Their e-commerce platform enables direct-to-consumer sales and provides a
seamless shopping experience for customers.
As of the end of 2020, Under Armour had 415 owned and operated retail stores
worldwide.
3Ps
People (Customers): Under Armour has a strong brand identity and a loyal
customer base, which it has built through a focus on providing high-quality sports
apparel and accessories to athletes and fitness enthusiasts. The company's marketing
strategy is centered around empowering athletes to perform better and achieve their
goals. Under Armour's customer engagement strategy includes sponsorships of
professional athletes and sports teams, social media marketing, and targeted
advertising.
Decathalon 3 Ps
In the end, there are four winners in this scenario: the customer who has higher value
for money (the parent), the user who always gets the “right bike at the right time” (the
child), Decathlon, and our planet as producing a bike generates an average footprint of
96 Kg CO2e.
Due to this subscription model it got incredible advantages above its competition
reducing the consumer retention cost and production cost as well.
needs to run through all areas of the company to become a successful strategy.
Integrating all sales channels is the basis for successful unified commerce, in which the
experience revolves around the customer from the beginning to the end. It is not just
about the buying experience but also about exchanges, returns, relationships, and
communication.
In this scenario of digital expansion, spread of new technologies, and connected and
The companies that understand these places’ potential in the relationship between the
clients and the brand, adopt solutions, and modernize their processes end up standing
out. That is why Decathlon bet on VTEX inStore and the transformation of its 45
VTEX’s solution for unified commerce operations that enables the integration of digital
and physical sales channels, placing the customer at the center of the business.
The VTEX InStore app is available for smartphones and tablets and provides the
physical store sales associate with the integrated background of each customer,
gathering data from their journey with the brand on digital channels.
With VTEX inStore, the shopping cart is integrated, persistent, and shareable. This
means, for example, that the brick-and-mortar store sales associate can see the
products the customer abandoned in the ecommerce cart. With such detailed
information, they have more resources to complete the sale, increase the ticket, and
is the endless shelf. With it, even if the customer cannot find the product in stock at a
particular store, the sales associate has access to the whole inventory of the
ecommerce and even of other stores, completing the sale through his own smartphone.
For a large chain like Decathlon, which has more than 15,000 SKUs, the solution unified
the customer experience and ensured more chances of conversion, since the
possibilities of completing the sale are expanded when you can count on the entire
stock of the ecommerce platform and the more than forty physical stores. In addition,
the solution empowers the stores’ sales teams, which, having a significantly larger
number of products in their hands, can transform the customer’s visit into a more
Fulfillment module ensures a frictionless fulfillment experience for the seller and/or
picker, ensuring that the customer will get the product correctly and on time. This is how
Decathlon is able to track the customer’s end-to-end operation with a single tool.
To perform a USP analysis of Decathlon, it is vital to analyze the core values of the
brand as they are fundamental for business. The main value of the company is vitality
determined by energy, intense activity, drive, and vigor (About Decathlon n.d.). The
organization strives to promote a positive mindset, innovative approaches, and change.
Another Decathlon’s value is responsibility; the company aims to be responsible in its
decisions both within its teams and with customers (About Decathlon n.d.). It also
strives to anticipate the challenges that society may encounter and implement strategies
for sustainable development. In addition, the organization aims to provide safety for all
of its clients and employees.
It is also necessary to outline the company’s characteristics that are significant for its
customers. It is vital for the organization to understand who its target customers are, as
well as their needs (Brassinton & Pettitt 2006). The primary one is the affordability of
products that do not lead to a lower quality. Decathlon strives to assess the quality of
items regularly and ensure that they are durable (Vitality and responsibility – 2016
sustainable development report 2016). In addition, the company performs investigations
of production sites, the capacity of suppliers, and transparency of information for its
users. The second vital characteristic of the organization is that it is concerned about
sustainability and ecology. With the growing awareness of climate change and its
adverse effects, customers may be interested in products made of renewable or
recyclable materials. Decathlon tries to implement the principles of sustainability in all
stages of production, selling, and packaging (Vitality and responsibility – 2016
sustainable development report 2016). In addition, the company sells second-hand
items through its Trocathlon system. Such an approach addresses environmental
issues and allows individuals to buy products at a reduced price.
It is possible to say that the company’s competitors do not show the same level of
competitive advantages. For instance, Kitbag’s products are not targeted at all groups of
population; instead, they are designed for experienced athletes (About us 2019). The
company is based in the United Kingdom and relies on online sales, delivering its
products to more than 180 countries. However, it may be inconvenient for customers
wanting to visit offline retail outlets and evaluate the quality of the items. In addition, the
organization does not offer a wide range of products. It sells clothing and footwear but
no other items for sports or outdoor activities (About us 2019). It is possible to say that
this firm has a stronger competitive advantage for the customers that want to buy
specific types of products, such as licensed sports merchandise. However, Decathlon
offers more benefits for the group of clients interested in sports and physical activity in
general compared to Kitbag.
JD Sports has the same target groups as Decathlon as it provides items for people of all
ages and genders. It is possible to say that the companies have similar goals as JD
Sports also aims to reach international customers. However, the company has various
competitive disadvantages compared to Decathlon. For instance, its international
markets include only the United States, Europe, and Asia Pacific ones with less than 40
stores opened in mainland Europe (Cowgill 2019). In addition, the company does not
show strategies to reduce prices for customers; thus, its products have a lower
availability compared to Decathlon’s ones. JD Sports is more concentrated on providing
individuals with the excess to exclusive items rather than affordable ones (Cowgill
2019). This factor may be considered a significant competitive disadvantage from the
perspective of individuals with lower economic advantages.
Market Penetration
Market Penetration is the growth strategy suggested by Ansoff matrix, where companies increase
the sales of current products in the current markets. This strategy helps in increasing the market
share of the company. The company can use different marketing techniques to create awareness
among more and more consumers. It also opts for different pricing strategies, along with promotional
techniques. Under Armour is a big name in sports in America and other international markets. Under
Armour understands the need of penetrating in the market, the company started to penetrate
through different sports. At first it was only indulged in golf, but now it grows itself in soccer and
tennis too. It is also endorsing athletes of rugby, which means it will be growing there too. The
company is picking more European athletes and sports to represent its brand. This helps Under
Armour to increase the market share (Buren, 2017).
Product Development
Product development is the strategy which motivates the company to expand the product portfolio. It
is also known as product expansion, as company introduce new product for the existing market for
growing its businesses. This is not necessary to introduce completely new product, but relaunch of
the new product or different versions of the existing product comes in this strategy. This helps the
company to grow in terms of revenue. Under Armour has adopted this strategy very seriously.
Initially it was the sports and footwear manufacturers, but it also manufactures casual apparel for the
consumers. Under Armour also identified the need of connected fitness and it build its own platforms
and applications. It introduces first advanced technology for public E34 system as a UA band.
However, the company is no more in the fitness wearables as Samsung and Fitbit have made
competitive items (Teufel, 2011).
Market Development
Market Development is the strategy suggested by Ansoff Matrix. The strategy suggests the company
to expand itself in new markets though different segments like geographically or demographically. It
is market expansion, where companies expand its current product in different markets. Under
Armour has keenly adopted this strategy. The company started its operations from America, but it
expanded itself across the world. In markets of Asian, America, European etc. The company also
expanded itself demographically in terms of sports. It started from golf, but now expanded to rugby,
tennis, soccer etc. Under Armour has internationally performing in footwear and apparels too (Issuu,
2016).
Diversification
Diversification is the strategy which motivates the company to introduce new products in new
markets. This is the riskiest strategy among all four strategies suggested by Ansoff matrix. The
company has to diversify by identifying the consumer needs and potential market. Under Armour
diversified itself in the market by introducing sports apparel. Under Armour has seen the potential
growth in the market of sports apparel as people are looking for healthy lifestyle and willing to pay
premium for that. The market shrinking risk in minimum for Under Armour, as it is expected to see
the raise in the sales of it in coming years (Buren, 2017).
In the same year, Under Armour made the landmark acquisition of MapMyFitness for
$150 million, stepping up its digital health game to create the ultimate digital community
for all athletes. In its quest to craft an elevated training experience for athletes and help
them improve, Under Armour understood the importance of embracing software,
harnessing the power of digital, and acquiring data. Although slightly late to the fitness
tracking space, by 2013, Under Armour was a company on a mission to digitize and
modernize. By acquiring MapMyFitness, Under Armour aimed to become the best
digital training experience provider and mobile fitness platform, encouraging people to
lead healthier lifestyles.
In 2014, Under Armour also launched Speedform Appolo, a running shoe tailored to
offer speed and comfort. With the tagline “This is what fast feels like,” Under Armour
announced that it was well and truly a footwear brand eager to offer the best to its
customers. By signing the super-model Gisele Bundchen and Ballerina Misty Copeland
in 2014, Under Armour laid bare its strategy to expand the brand to women.
The company also won the contract to become the official apparel and equipment
provider to the University of Notre Dame. By 2014, Under Armour was bigger and better
than ever with $3 billion in annual sales, surpassing Adidas to become the best-selling
sports apparel brand in the U.S.
Go Digital
Under Armour has closely witnessed the needs and preferences of users evolving. With
handheld technology and the desire to embrace a healthy as well as active lifestyle,
users navigate the physical and virtual worlds effortlessly. This has led Under Armour to
transform itself digitally to offer meaningful value to its target audience.
Gone are the days of being a shirt and shoe company. Under Armour has adopted a
digital innovation strategy aimed at connecting athletes’ apparel and devices, collecting
data to derive essential insights in order to boost the overall performance. In addition to
this, the company has embraced an omnichannel approach to offer a holistic customer
experience while creating one of the world’s biggest sporting communities.
By placing the brand at the center of digital customer experience and not just focusing
on selling the products but creating a community to connect and empower people,
Under Armour changed the game altogether.
Decathlon, on the other hand, is a French sports equipment and apparel retailer with
stores in several countries around the world. According to their 2020 annual report, the
company's net sales for the year were €12.4 billion, which represented a 6 percent
increase compared to the previous year. The company attributed their revenue growth
to a combination of strong e-commerce sales and a gradual recovery in physical store
sales following the COVID-19 pandemic.