One retailer expands into Indian market, could others follow?

A French sportswear retailer has announced plans to open 60 new stores in India.

The new outlets will open over the next five years, said Decathlon. The company has experience of retail in India through the operation of cash and carry outlets to date.

Decathlon expects India to become one of the top five markets in the world in terms of number of retail stores. The other four countries in which it operates are its home market of France, along with Italy, Spain and China.

Their CEO in India, Steve Dykes, said “India is a priority country. We dream to open 100 stores in five years.” He added that the company will also be looking to sell products online (once the government allows foreign direct investment in eCommerce).

With a strong presence in the south of India, it is anticipated that Decathlon will seek to focus on strengthening their brand in the north and west of the country.

India has a population in excess of 1.2 billion people and in 2012 the GDP of the country was reported at over $1.8 trillion.