Decathlon wants to know its customers’ sporting behaviour

At Decathlon, those who exercise are rewarded. The sports retailer is linking its loyalty programme to customers’ sports applications, such as Strava, to obtain a wealth of information about their sporting behaviour.

Bonus points for exercising

Decathlon is adding a unique feature to its loyalty programme: consumers can now give the retailer access to their sports applications, such as Strava or Komoot. Why should they do this? The retailer will be offering discounts to those who exercise at least one hour a week. Customers get bonus points on their membership card, which they can convert into discount vouchers or other benefits.

‘One hour of sports a week earns 100 points. As soon as you have 3,000 points, you can redeem them’, explains Decathlon. These points can be converted into discounts at Decathlon or at a number of partners, such as Decathlon Travel or fitness clubs. In Belgium, talks are ongoing with a number of potential partners, says spokeswoman Julie Nevejans. Customers can also donate their points to sports-related charities.

Tailor-made personalisation

Decathlon’s aim is to encourage people to practise sport, even those who currently do not or rarely do so. In return, the retailer obtains a wealth of information about the sporting behaviour of its customers: where, when and how much do they actually exercise? Which activities are popular in which regions? As a result, the offering can be further personalised, as Nike has also found with its own Run and Training Club applications.

Nike uses these insights for advanced personalisation, including determining where to open new stores and with what assortment. The brand can even deduce from the data whether a customer’s sports shoes are about to wear out and whether it’s time to send a personalised offer for a new, suitable pair. Nevejans doesn’t know if Decathlon wants to go to such lengths, but does confirm that knowing customers’ needs allows for better service. ‘We always want to meet our customers‘ needs as best we can,’ explains the spokeswoman.