6 Examples of Successful Customer Experiences in Sports Retail
5 min
Regardless of a store’s size, the primary goal is to evoke emotions and create a memorable customer experience. Surprise effects, storytelling, digitalization, additional services… all these methods are effective if they create a positive experience that aligns with your strategy and goes beyond simply improving communication. In this article, we provide 6 examples of successful customer experiences in sports retail to inspire you!
1. The Sports Booklet with Sport 2000
Sport2000, with a vision of customer-centric innovation, launched its digital transformation plan a few years ago. The result has been significant investments aimed at enhancing the customer journey, particularly through an omnichannel strategy. This strategy includes a B2B website for pooling member stocks, a new public-facing website, ship-from-store services, click & collect, and more.
In line with this strategy and to build a strong connection with its community, the Sport2000 group has launched its loyalty points system, “The Sports Booklet,” for its major brands such as Sport2000, Mondovélo, Espace Montagne, and Dégrif Sport. This initiative aims to merge two seemingly unrelated worlds—sports and financial benefits—offering customers dual advantages: staying active and earning rewards (“The more you exercise, the less you spend”), thereby creating a genuine “customer experience.”
The concept is straightforward: as a member of this loyalty program, customers earn points for each recorded sporting activity, quickly unlocking loyalty benefits. The customer experience doesn’t end there, as the “Sports Booklet” offers monthly prizes, VIP experiences, sports products, gift cards, and trips to practice their sport in dream locations. A shining example of success.
2. The Reward According to Go Sport
As a highly urban brand dedicated to supporting its customers in their sporting activities, Go Sport has invested in its Mercure loyalty program. In line with its overall strategy (free in-store sports sessions, creating a community of enthusiasts…), the brand rewards customers based on their efforts. In short, by joining the loyalty program, users can connect their sports apps and automatically sync their performances. Depending on the goals they set and their success in achieving them, customers are rewarded with money directly on their CLUB card.
By leveraging the efforts of its customers, the brand introduces a rewarding concept by offering in-store vouchers. The result is personalized community support, an attractive and rewarding loyalty program, and the reinvestment of earned amounts back into the store.
https://www.go-sport.com/on/demandware.store/Sites-GoSport_FR-Site/default/Mercure-Show
3. The In-Store Digital Experience by Decathlon
In response to the evolving digital landscape, Decathlon has adopted web-to-store strategies to enhance the customer experience. After investing in Mobistore (an app for sales associates linked to the store’s product and stock database) and RFID (an identification chip on each product for detection at checkout, applying necessary promotions, and tracking inventory), Decathlon introduced the Borne Plus.
A digital kiosk placed in the store allows both customers and sales associates to find all products, prepare purchases by consulting technical information, place orders, and choose their preferred pickup or delivery method. The goal is to provide enhanced services to customers and a digital experience on the sales floor, enriching the support provided by employees.
https://www.decathlon.media/dossier-presse/2015/innovation-magasin-borne-plus.html
4. Proximity with Decathlon City
The French brand understands that beyond the positive impact of virtual engagement on physical stores, it is essential to create and maintain close ties with its community. The Decathlon City format is specifically designed to enhance the customer-sales associate relationship. This strategy is built around three main ideas:
- Hiring coach-sales associates to conduct evening classes, providing a value-added customer experience that boosts loyalty and increases purchase frequency;
- Utilizing virtual reality to help customers visualize and place products (especially tents) in their intended use context;
- Installing tablets in fitting rooms, allowing customers to directly communicate with a sales associate, request a different size, or ask for another product without leaving the fitting room.
5. Nike’s Innovative Support
Nike has crafted an immersive shopping journey to create a unique customer experience. The American giant’s strategy focuses on fully personalizing the customer’s visit to its concept store, from entry to exit, creating a “House of Innovation.” This shopping journey is filled with new experiences: the Mission Control installation at the entrance connects customers to the brand’s global sports community and showcases loyalty benefits.
Nike has also created a dedicated space for children, the Kids Pod, featuring tailored product ranges and interactive games. Additionally, there’s the Bra Fit service, which provides women with personalized lingerie recommendations based on their size.
6. The Seamless Experience with Intersport
Intersport serves as the 6th example of a successful customer experience. After seeing increased store traffic following the implementation of digital services such as e-reservation and click and collect, the brand now aims to expand home delivery services from its stores. By digitalizing its retail locations, Intersport is embracing an omnichannel strategy to provide a seamless customer experience.
For customers, this translates to easy access to purchased products and the end of dealing with heavy and bulky items during a shopping trip. For Intersport, it means integrating more digital solutions to enhance performance and strengthen customer loyalty.
No matter the size of your store, making the customer experience your top priority is crucial. Your guiding principle: design a cohesive strategy that aligns your physical store with your website. Here are the key takeaways from the 6 examples mentioned above for a successful customer experience in sports retail:
- Rewarding customers with a lucrative loyalty program that offers personal coaching and unique, personalized benefits;
- Creating a digital in-store experience that allows customers to digitize their shopping journey within the retail space;
- Building a community around coach-sales associates to provide excellent customer support and help customers envision their purchases;
- Driving innovation by introducing new and immersive experiences throughout the in-store shopping journey;
- Ensuring omnichannel excellence by offering a seamless experience and additional services to customers, eliminating any frustration.
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