Decathlon to open 38,000 sq ft flagship sporting goods store at Metrotown

Decathlon's flagship store at Metropolis at Metrotown mall under construction, replacing the former Forever 21 space. (Kenneth Chan/Daily Hive)

Forever 21’s second life within the original space it vacated at Metropolis at Metrotown mall in Burnaby was short lived.

After reopening in 2021 following its first closure in 2019 upon the company’s collapse, the store closed again at the end of Summer 2023 — this time, most likely forever.

The space is now set to become a new flagship location for Decathlon, a renowned French international sporting goods retailer.

When it opens in Spring 2024, this will be Decathlon’s first location within Metro Vancouver and British Columbia, and the 19th location within Canada, with other existing locations in Alberta, Ontario, Quebec, and Nova Scotia. It has been quickly expanding across the country ever since it opened its first Canadian location near Montreal.

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“Metro Vancouver is an inspiring place to be. Along with other players, Decathlon will contribute to this landscape by making sports more accessible for Vancouverites,” said Guillaume Hautson, Decathlon’s regional manager for BC, in a statement.

“In our stores, across other provinces and even around the globe, we have strived to empower people from all walks of life to make sports their own. We are even more excited that this adventure begins with Metropolis at Metrotown, a legendary mall in Canada. It is not only at the epicentre of the Greater Vancouver area, but also allows us to meet and learn from the incredibly diverse communities of Burnaby.”

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The 2021-opened Decathlon store in Calgary. (Elle McLean/Daily Hive)

The retailer’s Metrotown location replacing the Forever 21 space will span a significant floor area of 38,000 sq ft — comparable to the size of the mall’s H&M and Uniqlo stores. It is expected to generate new foot traffic to the Grand Atrium area of the mall, and provide new competition for Sport Chek, which has a 48,000 sq ft location at the mall.

Decathlon offers a wide range of apparel, equipment, and sporting goods — everything from basketball to equestrian, skiing to biking, camping to inline skating, bikes to kayaks, and other high-value products, including ping pong. Immersive experiential elements entail in-store gyms and product test areas.

This will also double as a local delivery hub for Decathlon’s online orders.

“We are so excited to welcome Decathlon, a brand that has built an incredible reputation for providing high-quality sports products at affordable prices. This marks another step forward in our quest to deliver an elevated shopping experience and diverse retail offering to our guests,” said Amanda Chung, marketing manager of Metropolis at Metrotown.

The 2021-opened Decathlon store in Calgary. (Elle McLean/Daily Hive)

On October 28, 2023, Decathlon will open a temporary small store nearby, located just across from Muji, and it will remain operational until the permanent flagship store is ready for customers in Spring 2024. Construction activity on transforming the former Forever 21 space is now well underway.

Decathlon currently has over 1,700 stores across more than 60 countries.

The major retailer’s decision to open at Metrotown continues a growing trend of prominent brands choosing to open their first presence at Metro Vancouver’s suburban malls instead of in downtown Vancouver, where suitable, attractive, and centrally-located retail spaces are highly limited in availability.

Most notably, downtown Vancouver still does not have Uniqlo, which first opened at Metrotown in 2017, and has since expanded to a handful of other suburban malls.

The 2021-opened Decathlon store in Calgary. (Elle McLean/Daily Hive)

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