Who owns Decathlon?

A French family business, part-owned by its staff. Decathlon's UK shops belong to Decathlon SE, a private company based in Villeneuve-d'Ascq, near Lille, which its UK accounts describe as "100% privately owned". Decathlon does not publish a list of its shareholders. Its own announcements refer to its "family shareholders", and Fortune reported in January 2025 that "the Mulliez family has a majority stake in Decathlon". Decathlon says more than half of its staff worldwide hold shares too.

Decathlon is not on any stock market and has no private equity owner.

What does the register show?

The UK shops are run by Decathlon UK Limited, company number 03140144, incorporated on 21 December 1995 and registered at 9 Maritime Street, London SE16. Its registered activities are the retail sale of sports goods and of clothing.

Its persons-with-significant-control register names one owner: Decathlon S.E., a European company registered in Lille under number 306 138 900, holding 75% or more of the shares since 8 September 2025. Its confirmation statement made up to 31 January 2026 shows the same thing in numbers: all 128,100,000 shares are held by Decathlon SE.

Before September 2025 the register worked differently. It named the group's chief executive of the day as having "significant influence or control": Michel Aballéa until March 2022, Barbara Martin Coppola until March 2025, then Javier López. The UK company's accounts for 2024 and 2025 both name Decathlon SE as its immediate and ultimate parent and controlling party, so the change is to how the register describes the owner, not to who the owner is.

Who owns Decathlon SE?

The French register does not show its shareholders, and Decathlon does not publish them. What can be read is this.

Decathlon SE is chaired by Julien Leclercq, and its chief executive is Javier López, appointed in March 2025. Its board, as listed in the French company register, includes Caroline Mulliez and two holding companies based in Roubaix, Surholympiades and Neolympiades. The register does not say who owns those two companies.

Decathlon's own pages describe its owners only as "family shareholders", who began offering shares to staff in 1987. Fortune, profiling the company in January 2025, reported that the Mulliez family holds a majority stake, and that the founder, Michel Leclercq, is a first cousin of Gérard Mulliez, who founded the supermarket group Auchan. The Mulliez family's holdings are managed through the Association Familiale Mulliez, which is how French and trade press describe Decathlon's owner.

Staff are the other shareholders. In June 2026 Decathlon said more than 56,000 of its staff worldwide, 54% of the workforce, hold shares, and announced a plan to give every eligible employee shares worth about €2,000, vesting after three years. Its results for 2025 put the share at 51%. Neither figure says what proportion of the company the staff own between them.

How did Decathlon come to be owned this way?

Michel Leclercq founded Decathlon in 1976 near Lille, and it has stayed private since. The first UK store opened in 1999, according to Decathlon UK's accounts.

The best-known recent event was a dividend. In December 2024 it was reported that Decathlon was distributing €1 billion to its shareholders for that year, and the CFDT union called it "unacceptable". Decathlon said the money went to all its shareholders, including its employee shareholders.

Decathlon also invests in other companies. On 30 June 2026 RetailDetail reported that its investment arm, Decathlon Pulse, was buying a 10% stake in Brompton, the London folding-bike maker.

How big is Decathlon?

Decathlon's results for 2025 give net sales of €16.8 billion, net profit of €910 million, 1,902 stores and about 103,000 staff worldwide.

The UK is a small part of that. Decathlon UK Limited's accounts for 2025 show turnover of £285.5 million, up 9.6% on 2024, and a loss of £12.9 million for the year, after a loss of £23.7 million the year before. It ended 2025 with 40 stores, including its warehouse, down from 46, after closing five shops including Aberdeen, and employed an average of 1,464 people.

Is Decathlon independent?

Not by our verified independent badge, which marks a locally and privately owned business rather than a chain, franchise or private-equity estate. Decathlon is an international chain of about 1,900 stores, so a Decathlon is a branch of that business.

The useful label is international chain, family-owned. That sets it apart from the big UK sports retailers, which are listed companies: for who owns Sports Direct and JD Sports, see who owns the UK clothes retailers and who owns Frasers. Like Iceland, Decathlon is owned by a family rather than by investors on a stock market.

For independent shops, owned by the people who run them, see our independent shops in Lincoln and shops in Hackney E8.

Questions people ask

Is Decathlon French?

Yes. It was founded in France in 1976 and its parent company, Decathlon SE, is registered in Lille and based in Villeneuve-d'Ascq.

Is Decathlon owned by Auchan?

No. Auchan and Decathlon are separate companies. They are linked through family: Decathlon's founder, Michel Leclercq, is a cousin of Auchan's founder, Gérard Mulliez, and the Mulliez family is reported to hold a majority of Decathlon.

Is Decathlon on the stock market?

No. Its shares are privately held by its family shareholders and its staff.

Do Decathlon staff own shares?

Many do. Decathlon says more than 56,000 of its staff, just over half the workforce, are shareholders.

Last checked 14 October 2026. This article uses the Companies House record, persons-with-significant-control register, confirmation statement made up to 31 January 2026 and accounts for 2024 and 2025 of Decathlon UK Limited (company 03140144); the French company register entry for Decathlon SE (306 138 900); Decathlon's press releases of 27 March 2025 on its new chief executive, of 2 April 2026 on its 2025 results and of June 2026 on its employee share plan; Fortune's profile of 30 January 2025; FashionUnited's report of December 2024 on the dividend; and RetailDetail's report of 30 June 2026 on Brompton. What is not claimed: how Decathlon SE's shares divide between the Mulliez family, the Leclercq family and staff, since Decathlon does not publish this and the figures quoted elsewhere are not from Decathlon; who owns Surholympiades and Neolympiades; how much of the €1 billion dividend each shareholder received; and whether Decathlon's reported plan to sell a minority stake in its China business went ahead. If you spot something that needs correcting, email Highstreett and we will review it.