RFID & DECATHLON
A decade of leadership to benefit customers and employees

For over ten years now, Decathlon has been a pioneer of a particular technology for the benefit of its employees and customers: RFID (Radio Frequency Identification). This technology has enabled us to increase product availability instore, to accelerate and facilitate checkout, and to improve product security.

Innovation that benefits people often starts with the simplest of objects; in this case, a “revolutionary” sticker. Small and rectangular, it has an integrated electronic chip. This label is called an RFID (Radio Frequency Identification) tag.

The principle behind this chip is straightforward: it is fed by a special reader so it can communicate and provide its own unique identifier. The tags can be read from up to a metre away, in hundredths of a second and even through boxes.

Let’s find out how Decathlon uses RAIN RFID technology, why we have developed and integrated readers and software across the entire Decathlon value chain, enabling many features that optimize our operations. Looking to the future, we are currently working on a disruptive and innovative traceability system to bring Decathlon into a new era, respectful of the planet.

Technology at the service of all!

Why did we choose RFID?

We decided to adopt RAIN RFID technology to uniquely identify our products.

RFID is the only technology available on the market that benefits from a global standard and allows a unique codification to be assigned to each item. Thus, all our products have a serial number recorded in the RFID chip. This is the only information present in the chip and that can be read remotely (several meters), massively and simultaneously.

We master RAIN RFID technology and we are proud to be leaders. We measure all its benefits on a daily basis and the technology continue to play a key role for the future of Decathlon!

Our customer experience must be a unique one. In store, our products are continuously available. The checkout process is faster and easier. Freed from time-consuming tasks, our teammates can concentrate on serving, advising and helping our customers and sports users.

Hervé D'Halluin - Leader RFID & Traceability

What are the customer benefits?

Thanks to RAIN RFID, Decathlon teammates can now focus on you. We can better serve you, advise you and help you.

Products and teammates are more available.

Thanks to RAIN RFID, the daily tasks of teammates is easier. For example, it makes inventories simpler and more frequently. This means that our employees are more present to advise YOU.

Therefore, RAIN RFID improves product availability; there are fewer stock shortages. And so, better control of our stocks allowing us to produce fewer quantities: it's virtuous for the planet!
Cashing is simpler and faster

With 100% of our products bearing RFID Technology, we are proud to offer you a unique checkout experience. Place your items in the checkout bac and, as if by magic, they appear on the screen. It's child's play!

For our employees? They are happy to be in the middle of the aisles to advise you or to be present at the checkouts to make sure you don't miss anything.
More security

Whether in factories, warehouses or stores, we use RAIN RFID technology, especially for end-to-end product tracking. This is important for your safety: in the case of a product recall, we can efficiently find the products concerned.

And if you have a Decathlon account and in possession of a defective product, we will be able to inform you more easily!
In the very near future?

The group is committed to reducing its carbon footprint, so, innovative and unique approaches are being studied where RAIN RFID plays a major role in the transformation of Decathlon: second life, renting, repair, transparency, ...

Thanks to the technology, entire history of your product will be known, down to the origin of its raw materials. And so, if the chip is still active, we can guarantee the recycling of your items!

Are RFID waves dangerous?

A technology with strict regulations

At Decathlon, we are concerned about the well-being of our customers and our employees: this issue is important to us!

The label on the products does not emit any waves (except when it is next to an RFID reader). It is completely devoid of energy. It is completely risk-free.

As we explained before, to interact with a RAIN RFID tag, a specific reader is required. This emits waves and is subject to very strict controls.

To conclude :

Waves emitted by RFID tags in the presence of a RAIN RFID reader are extremely weak, well below the regulatory limits set by health authorities.
International standards and regulations regarding exposure to electromagnetic waves are very strict, ensuring the safety of users.
RFID products undergo rigorous controls and certifications before being placed on the market.
Every 2 years, Decathlon takes measurements with an independent firm to confirm that our systems still safe for human health.

If you want, the tags can be deactivated!

You can permanently deactivate RFID chips by simply asking it the store security agent: this operation takes a few seconds..

You can also choose to cut out the tag, if it is visible, with a simple pair of scissors.

Need more information?

For more information, contact your store team or ask your questions to customer services via our website, under the "A question?" section.

Note : the section is available at the top right.

RFID & DECATHLONA decade of leadership to benefit customers and employees

RFID & DECATHLON
A decade of leadership to benefit customers and employees