Decathlon acquires mountaineering webshop Bergfreunde

French sporting retailer Decathlon has acquired mountain sports specialist Bergfreunde. The German pure player, which operates online in eleven European countries, will continue to operate under its own brand name.

Reaching new customers

Bergfreunde was founded in 2006 and now operates in eleven European countries: Austria, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland and the United Kingdom. In some countries, the company uses other brand names, such as alpiniste.fr or alpinetrek.co.uk.

With the acquisition, Decathlon aims to reach new customers in the premium outdoor market segment, while increasing its presence in several key markets in Europe. Like online cycling specialist Alltricks, for example, Bergfreunde will continue operations under its own brand name as an autonomous and independent subsidiary. The business model and management will also remain unchanged, the retailer said in a press release. The transaction is still subject to approval by the relevant authorities.