Decathlon - Huge disappointment.

PSE Composites Limited
8x57

8x57

Distinguished Member
I've been quite a fan of the Decathlon company for shooting wear and equipment since discovering them while on holiday in France about 18 years ago. I usually made purchases in-shop when in France or occasionally in one of their U.K. shops, but I've also been using their U.K. website which until recently used to pretty much mirror the French site.

Last week I made an enquiry about a particular knife only to be told that they no longer sell knife related products in the U.K. Yesterday I went on their website to look for something but failed to find shooting and hunting listed as a sport (that's how they listed it previously). I contacted them and was told it was now listed as country sports but I still failed to find what I was looking for. A further enquiry got the reply that they have reduced their product lines in the U.K. and effectively have dropped pretty much anything that would have been of interest to deer stalkers.

Hugely disappointed and it looks like I am now an ex customer unless that is at some time in the future ex-covid we will be able to return to France and purchase in-shop.
 
NickJ

NickJ

Well-Known Member
The one by Malaga airport has a whole corner dedicated to fieldsports, basically everything bar guns!
 
Mr. Gain

Mr. Gain

Well-Known Member
caberslash said:
I'd Blame Brexit (as usual, for any misfortune) ;)
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Are you sure? Just because fewer imported goods are available after a massive change that made it more complicated to export stuff to the UK doesn't automatically mean there's any connection. Post hoc no ergo propter hoc, as Boris would surely claim.

As for Decathlon, yes, they have really hidden their shooting gear well, not just from casual visitors to their site but from fairly determined ones as well. I found the best way to locate what I wanted was to do a site search in Google to get me onto a page in the hunting section, and use that as the start point for browsing othe items, but now those product pages are repeatedly showing up as no longer available and redirecting to the home page.
 
8x57

8x57

Distinguished Member
Mr. Gain said:
Are you sure? Just because fewer imported goods are available after a massive change that made it more complicated to export stuff to the UK doesn't automatically mean there's any connection. Post hoc no ergo propter hoc, as Boris would surely claim.

As for Decathlon, yes, they have really hidden their shooting gear well, not just from casual visitors to their site but from fairly determined ones as well. I found the best way to locate what I wanted was to do a site search in Google to get me onto a page in the hunting section, and use that as the start point for browsing othe items, but now those product pages are repeatedly showing up as no longer available and redirecting to the home page.
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That's exactly what I used to find with the U.K. site. If ever there was a way how not to market a product on the internet they discovered it and became masters of it.
Shops very rarely have high sales levels of products that are hidden away in warehouses and its exactly the same with the internet. If they had taken the trouble to actually advertise even if it was by means of product placement in some of the shooting magazines or internet shooting shows I am sure they would have increased their sales ten fold.

Very unfortunate as they actually had some good products and at very reasonable prices.
 
H

Henns

Well-Known Member
Just had a look myself, seems it's anything related to hunting, as decoys, calls, hide nets etc have all been removed. Now it has sections for 'Clay Pigeon Shooting' and 'target shooting'.
 
Mick9abf

Mick9abf

Well-Known Member
That’s a shame, I got a decent camo quilted jacket and windstopper fleece not that long ago for sweeties. I have one of their knives which cost £10.50 and holds an edge better than my many Mora’s.
 
andychas

andychas

Well-Known Member
Supporter
no doubt in response to "feedback" from some quarters, oh well, just have to buy outdoor clothing from Mr P, leaving a review on how good it is for hunting of course

Chris Packham Outdoor Clothing for Men, Women & Children

Jackets, fleeces and trousers for men, women and children. New ‘cool’ wildlife clothing range for kids combines fashion edge with a fun educational twist to encourage the call of the wild for a new generation of young explorers.
www.chrispackham.co.uk
 
Freeforester

Freeforester

Well-Known Member
caberslash said:
I'd Blame Brexit (as usual, for any misfortune) ;)
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Quite, but who loses? The hapless hunter who cannot spend with Decathlon must either forget the idea, or seek out their prospective purchases elsewhere, that is all. In time, a more rational sales system will prevail, though this is, admittedly, not much comfort to the desperate/impatient buyer.

Decathlon lose, as do any other EU supplier no longer concerned with supplying the UK marketplace, whilst UK buyers place their orders with other, more amenable countries, or even (get this -) at home! But of course, we can also buy cross border, and/or go to a store and buy when over there. Purchases deferred are not losses.
 
Heym SR20

Heym SR20

Well-Known Member
Small market, big hassle. Why risk damaging your main business to service a small number of customers. Sadly most of the UK doesn’t understand Fieldsports. It is seen by most as something Toffs do.

And until recently fieldsports havent done very much to promote and be inclusive.

In France shooting / hunting is something that is part of everyday life and is viewed as an ordinary activity.

in the past, the likes of Decathlon dispatched most of their more specialist products from their European supply chain. Thanks to Brexit, this is no longer commercially viable and many many products will no longer be available to GB consumers.

The only ones to blame are the electorate who voted for it. There was plenty of good evidence to show that this would happen. Yet we still voted leave.

If and when we are allowed to travel you will be able to buy stuff on the continent. But if its any more than £135 in value you will be expected to declare it pay any duties / VAT on the way through customs.

Again we voted for this.

And we voted in the current Government who are implementing these procedures.

It’s a cluster****, but until there is a change of government we just have to suck it up.
 
hairycow

hairycow

Well-Known Member
I think that would be a top idea, imagine front cover of sporting gun, shooting times etc with someone out shooting wearing his brand.
I know he would make money but the burn would be outstanding.
 
Freeforester

Freeforester

Well-Known Member
Heym SR20 said:
It’s a cluster****, but until there is a change of government we just have to suck it up.
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Didn’t see much positive about field sports in either the Green, SNP, Libdem or Labour manifestos, tbh, maybe sporting clothing would be a bit superfluous when the others get a shottie at the levers of Power?

It seems that if clay and target shooting items are still on offer, they might have decided already that catering for hunters is not part of their future. Still, there is always Kettner, Frankonia, and as already suggested, Canada Water in London to check out - opportunities for others online too, no doubt, as I hardly imagine the original makers of the gear will have ceased to do so just because D have had a change in direction.
 
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8x57

8x57

Distinguished Member
Freeforester said:
Didn’t see much positive about field sports in either the Green, SNP, Libdem or Labour manifestos, tbh, maybe sporting clothing would be a bit superfluous when the others get a shottie at the levers of Power?

seems that if clay and target shooting items are still on offer, they might have decided already that catering for huntere is not part of their future. Still, there is always Kettner, Frankonia, and as already suggested, Canada Water in London to check out - opportunities for others online too, no doubt, as I hardly imagine the original makers of the gear will have ceased to do so just because D have had a change in direction.
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Quite the opposite, the greens have a long standing bias against shooting sports and if you want to see the contempt that labour (well at least in Wales) have for shooting just read the article in the latest issue of the NGO magazine.

With regard to Brexit I don't think the Decathlon decision has anything to do with Brexit as the company continues to import and distribute equipment for other sports. They also seem to be quietly adding to the number of stores that they have in the U.K. I was actually looking forward to the opening of a Decathlon store in Bristol (Cribbs Causeway) which would have become my local store.
 
tikkathreebarrels

tikkathreebarrels

Well-Known Member
Funny coincidence, I was at their website yesterday looking to see what I could squander my pension on having got through the winter with one of their merino snood/neck tubes, merino & silk liner gloves and their bino caddy.

You are right, the product line isn't what it was online but they do have physical shops.

Try a search on their product line Solognac that pretty much brings up lots of clothing, bags, footwear etc.
 
D

Drum123

Well-Known Member
8x57 said:
Quite the opposite, the greens have a long standing bias against shooting sports and if you want to see the contempt that labour (well at least in Wales) have for shooting just read the article in the latest issue of the NGO magazine.

With regard to Brexit I don't think the Decathlon decision has anything to do with Brexit as the company continues to import and distribute equipment for other sports. They also seem to be quietly adding to the number of stores that they have in the U.K. I was actually looking forward to the opening of a Decathlon store in Bristol (Cribbs Causeway) which would have become my local store.
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This.Nothing to do with brexit.If it were then how come the rest of the Decathlon range is imported without issue?
 
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