It's one of the world's biggest sporting goods retail brands, found in over 30 countries and dubbed by many as 'the ALDI of activewear'. And now, France's famed Decathlon — which launched an online store here in 2016, its first Sydney store in December last year and its second just last week — has physically hit Melbourne, with two stores opening in late 2018.

The stores are located in Melbourne's east, on Ferntree Gully Road in Knoxfield and on Middleborough Road in Box Hill South.

The new spaces rival Bunnings in size and are stocked with an impressive 7000 products across 70 sports and activities, like running, yoga, cycling, camping and dance. If you've got a sports nut or fitness fiend in your life, best put this one at the very top of your Christmas shopping hit-list.

When the first Sydney store opened last year, CEO of Decathlon Australia Mr Olivier Robinet said that the company wants to make sport accessible to all locals. "Australians are some of the most active people in the world, the whole country is like a playground," he explained. "Until now many Australians have had to spend hundreds of dollars to get a quality product. Decathlon has now changed this."

So how cheap is it? Well, a pair of yoga pants range will set you back between $12 and $40, while a two-person tent is $30.

More than just a standard store, Decathlon also has dedicated active zones, where customers can roadtest certain products, and its own community sporting areas, where local sports clubs can host sign-up days, barbecues and fundraising events.de

Decathlon is open at 1464 Ferntree Gully Road, Knoxfield and at 249 Middleborough Road, Box Hill South. For more info, visit decathlon.com.au.

Updated: December 23, 2018. 

Published on November 24, 2018 by Libby Curran