Decathlon arrive in UK

French sports-store chain Decathlon have opened their first UK outlet at Surrey Quays in London and are stocking a wide range of golf equipment ranging from their own Greenway line, which includes irons, balls, clothing and shoes, to leading brand names like Callaway.

Decathlon, which started in 1976, have 250 stores across Germany, Spain, Italy and France, and last year turned over more than £1.3 billion.

Paul Crowdy, Decathlon's UK golf manager, claims that this success is down to their combination of specialist stock and high quality merchandise.

"We're not just interested in stocking shoe brands and tracksuits," he said. "Instead we have a wide range of specialist brands and concentrate on providing the sort of equipment that a serious golfer would want."

Crowdy admits that at present Decathlon's own brands are geared towards beginners, not just in golf but in all sports. "The Greenway brand is high-quality but has a price range to suit beginners. Everything is designed in-house and we hope that it provides an alternative to certain highly-priced brand names."

Britain's next new Decathlon store due to open in Manchester this December. For further information about the group, call Crowdy on 0181-998-6566.