Major sporting equipment retailer Decathlon has opened its first Gloucestershire store in Cheltenham’s Regent Arcade.
Mayor of Cheltenham, Steve Harvey, and Decathlon chief finance officer, Alberto Bottan, officially opened the doors to the global brand’s 1,872 square metre store at noon on Thursday 25 November 2021.
It is the French firm’s first shop in the south west of England, and promises to cater for more than 70 sports and activities from walking and camping to horse-riding and golf.
The news comes just days after Regent Arcade announced plans to start work on a new rooftop bar and restaurant.
Sam Pond, Decathlon Cheltenham leader, said: ‘Cheltenham is such a vibrant and active place, making it the perfect location for a Decathlon store.’
Scott Lahive, manager of Regent Arcade, said: ‘We are delighted Decathlon has chosen Cheltenham to open its first store in the region. It is a real sign of confidence in the town.
‘With the opening of Tivoli cinema, JD Sports (opening date yet to be announced) and now Decathlon I think we can say we are coming out of the pandemic stronger.
‘The good thing about JD Sports and Decathlon is that while we have always served the needs of the family market well, this will allow us to also offer something to those in their early 20s, as well as across most sports.’
Decathlon is one of biggest sporting goods retailers in the world and has 45 UK stores.
Read more: Second major sports retailer to open in Regent Arcade
By Andrew Merrell
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