Decathlon plans five store openings in Colombia in 2026

Decathlon has opened its tenth store in Bogotá, at the Santafé shopping centre, and plans to complete five store openings in Colombia during 2026. According to information published by Portafolio on 28 September, the French company expects to end the year with 22 stores. For the franchising community, the news offers a useful benchmark for retail expansion, with one essential distinction: the announced growth involves the company's directly operated business in Colombia.

Santafé Bogotá joins the opening schedule

The new Santafé Bogotá store is the third opening Decathlon has identified as part of its 2026 plan. It follows the Unicentro store, inaugurated in January, and Santafé Medellín, which opened in June. This sequence reflects a schedule combining a stronger presence in the capital with growth in Medellín.

Carlos Gómez, general manager of Decathlon Colombia, told Portafolio that the company still has two openings planned before the end of the year: Éxito Country and Nuestro Bogotá. If both go ahead, the brand would achieve five openings in a single year, an unprecedented figure for its Colombian business, according to Gómez.

It is important to distinguish between stores that have already opened and those still planned. Santafé Bogotá is already open; Éxito Country and Nuestro Bogotá remain part of the announced plans. The five openings are therefore a year-end target, not an achievement already secured.

The target is to end the year with 22 stores

Decathlon aims to end 2026 with 22 stores in Colombia. Gómez clarified that the total would rise to 23 if the retail kiosk the company operates in Ibagué were included. The difference therefore reflects the type of outlet included in the count, rather than two separate expansion plans.

This distinction matters when comparing retail networks. The company's own figures differentiate between a store and a retail kiosk. Keeping them separate makes it possible to describe the scale of the operation without automatically treating all formats as equivalent.

The Santafé opening also brings the chain's Bogotá network to ten stores. This milestone comes shortly before another anniversary: February 2027 will mark ten years since its first Colombian store opened in Colina. The announced growth programme thus precedes the completion of its first decade in the country.

Direct expansion, not a franchise offer

For those interested in Colombia's franchise market, the key point is the nature of this expansion. In the interview, Gómez distinguished the franchise model from the directly operated business he manages in Colombia. The announced openings should therefore not be presented as new franchised outlets or as an invitation to prospective franchisees.

The available information sets out locations, a schedule and a target number of stores. It does not provide investment terms for third parties, initial franchise fees or requirements for acquiring a Decathlon franchise in Colombia. Presenting this retail announcement as a franchise opportunity would go beyond what was reported.

That distinction does not make the news any less relevant. It places it in the correct context: the expansion of a sporting goods retailer whose Colombian business, according to its general manager, is directly operated.

What to watch at the end of 2026

The next development to verify will be whether the Éxito Country and Nuestro Bogotá stores open. These openings will determine whether Decathlon completes its five planned launches and achieves the annual record announced for Colombia.

It will also be important to maintain the distinction between the projected 22 stores and the total of 23 outlets when the Ibagué kiosk is included. These details help readers assess the expansion figures accurately, particularly when comparing them with other retail networks operating in the country.

Practical takeaway: before assessing an expansion as an opportunity for franchisees, confirm who operates the outlets and which openings have already taken place. In this case, Decathlon is announcing growth in its directly operated business, not a franchise offer in Colombia.