Singapore, 7 July 2022 – In its pursuit to make sports and healthier lifestyles more accessible and convenient for Singaporeans and beyond, Decathlon unveils Data Lab. The 700 square metres purpose-built innovation nexus will consolidate Decathlon Singapore’s efforts in the development of new digital services for Decathlon International as well as incubate data projects in collaboration with partners such as Sport Singapore, various research agencies, and schools.
Located within the Kallang Alive district, the Decathlon Data Lab sits at the intersection of a growing number of sporting and community facilities that is part of an effort to strengthen the district’s standing as an inclusive sports precinct, outlined in the Kallang Alive Masterplan.
More Than Just Retail
With people at its core, Decathlon Singapore forges ahead to provide a collaborative working environment that will house Decathlon’s teams such as data experts, software developers and designers, network and security team, innovation teams as well as industry partners and students.
Projects and ideas initiated at Decathlon Data Lab will be tested in the adjacent Decathlon Singapore Lab store, and subsequently introduced to other Decathlon stores in Singapore and beyond. Thanks to this dedicated facility and its close proximity to the flagship store, the Data Lab seeks to attract and bring about synergy among talents in the technology sector – welcoming partners and young talents to set up base and work together in the drive for innovation within the sporting and retail sectors.
Decathlon’s Innovations
Starting out as an e-commerce sports retailer in Singapore, Decathlon Singapore became one of the pioneers in the omnichannel approach with the establishment of their first experience store at Bedok in 2016.
Since then, Decathlon Singapore has developed and tested a number of retail innovations with the opening of Decathlon Singapore Lab in 2019, including the RFID inventory robot which has been deployed to more than 120 stores worldwide, 100% self-checkout kiosks with cashless payments, and the RFID-based conveyor system that enables our 2-hour islandwide e-commerce fulfilment activities.
[From Left to Right] RFID Inventory Robot, Self-Checkout Kiosks with Cashless Payments, RFID-based Conveyor System
In addition to this, Decathlon Singapore also developed and launched a localised Decathlon mobile app in 2020, which became instrumental in adapting quickly to the major shift in consumer needs and purchasing patterns owing to the global pandemic.
Continuing the Innovative Spirit
With a proven innovation record, Decathlon Singapore continues to lead the way with the purpose-built Decathlon Data Lab – offering teammates and partners a conducive environment to suit various working styles, and encouraging spontaneous collaborations between teammates and partners alike. Decathlon worked hand-in-hand with workplace design firm Conexus Studio to conceptualise, design, and build the project in 3 months.
[From Left to Right] Colourful graffiti at the entrance of the Data Lab, Collaborative working spaces, Incubator area
The colourful graffiti design adorning the entrance and walls of the Data Lab encapsulates Decathlon’s energetic spirit that challenges norms while establishing new frontiers in sports, technology, and business.
An incubator area welcomes technology partners to collaborate and run on-ground trials at Singapore Lab and presents the opportunity to team up with young technology students hungry to gain real world experience. More details on the programmes will be shared at a later time.
Data aspirations for possible collaborations
Decathlon strives to further the growth of the region’s sport scene on a larger scale in collaboration with SportSG.
The partnership will leverage the respective expertise of Decathlon and SportSG to achieve a common goal of increasing the accessibility of sport and physical activity to the community. Together, Decathlon’s Data Lab and SportSG’s Data Hub will harness and analyse data to improve the way programmes are designed and inform the development of facilities to serve the needs of the local sport and fitness ecosystem.
This relationship will represent a move towards fulfilling joint aspirations in extending the value of sport and inspiring people to increase their participation in sport and physical activity across different life stages. The goal is to encourage individuals to achieve the recommended amount of physical activity in the Singapore Physical Activity Guidelines for better health and wellbeing.
Expanding Team
To support its expansion, diversification, and innovation in their pursuit to encourage more Singaporeans to discover new sports and develop the love for an active lifestyle, Decathlon Singapore is recruiting new teammates for more than 80 positions. Both full-time and part-time positions are available for sports enthusiasts who are keen to promote the love for sports with Decathlon by leading and developing fun sporting events and initiatives and helping to guide customers along on their sporting journey.
Decathlon also welcomes applications from persons with disabilities who maintain an active lifestyle and are keen to join the team in encouraging and promoting an active lifestyle for all.
Interested applicants can walk-in for interviews or check out Decathlon’s Career Page and Application Portal for more information.
