Is it time to boycott Decathlon Ireland?

jetsonx

Seemingly the parent company of Decathlon is still running their sport stores and DIY stores throughout Russia. According to the Telegraph (UK), they're actually seeing the gap left by other retaillers as an opportunity.

So, it is time to boycott Decathlon in Ireland?

https://www.theretailbulletin.com/sports-and-leisure/decathlon-owner-accused-of-profiting-from-russian-invasion-of-ukraine-21-03-2022/

KieferFan69

I’m afraid not. Too much picking on ordinary Russians. Some poor fellah lost his job as a conductor because of his nationality, anyway I never heard of this brand

Larbre34

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118826612#Comment_118826612

Decathlon are French. But thanks for playing 'troll the thread', do call again tomorrow.

Jequ0n

Shocking. Someone realised an opportunity and seized it, and yet people are whinging.

LessOutragePlz

The outrage level isn't enough to justify a boycott.

KieferFan69

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118826623#Comment_118826623

Doesn’t matter to me whether they are from Timbucktoo

like i said I never heard of them

buried

Looks like I've been boycotting them from the get-go because I have no idea who or what they even are.

EmmetSpiceland

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118826659#Comment_118826659

They’ve a big shop out near IKEA, don’t know of any other stores.

It’s not really for anyone “serious” about their sport/activity, more for people getting into new ones who don’t want to shell out big bucks on kit.

Good for kid’s stuff when they’re starting different sports but, as for boycotting, that’s up to each individual to decide. Not a bad idea if it puts further pressure on Russia.

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118826659#Comment_118826659

You'd have to get up off your fat ass and do some sporting activities to have heard of them.

Sports store that sells some some really good own-brand products (and some big name brands) if you actually know anything about them

Take their Artengo Tennis rackets - the TR900 versions are as good as anything from the premium stuff from Head or Wilson in terms of design and features at well under half the price because they don't spend big money on advertising and athlete sponsorship

Do great stuff in plenty of other sports also

Great for camping and hiking type equipment too

Brilliant store to have in Ireland tbh

easygoing39

Yes.

foxsake

why would I boycott them? Why would anybody boycott anybody cos of geopolitics or the media/politicians say so?

boycott should be based on your beliefs not what is popular or mob rule.

I'd never boycott Russian stuff cos I'm sold a "Russia bad" message as if a sports brand is related to military/political decisions.

If you really cared about that level of detail - you'd avoid Saudi oil (maybe all oil) and anything to do with child labour ( our electronics and stuff) and slave labour wages in the 3rd world (all our cheap clothes) .

buried

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118826916#Comment_118826916

Hmmm... I better get off my fat ass so, immediately head down there and buy everything I can get my fatty hands on

corner of hells

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118827368#Comment_118827368

It early hurts when an anonymous braveheart says it to you on an Internet platform, I having a couple of doughnuts for breakfast , would you like some ?

KieferFan69

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118827347#Comment_118827347

Very good points and also we should ask why are so many adults in this country dressing up in sportswear? The items of clothing are ugly, they are unnecessary, make grown adults look like teenagers, what next having a smoke around the back of the cistern??

KieferFan69

When I walk around in the street it looks like so many people are in fancy dress

oisinog

It could be a company planning for the future, hoping a quick and swift change to the Russian regime. Every company who has a footprint in Russia will be considering expansion plans if the country becomes more westren.

KieferFan69

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118827592#Comment_118827592

I can tell you having lived in that country that they already wear sportswear with branding. Russia is an enigma to most posters

murpho999

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118826657#Comment_118826657

So as you have never heard of them means people should not have an opinion of their activities.

They are the largest sports store chain in Europe with a large store in Ballymun and stores all over Europe. Bigger than JD Sports,Intersport or Sports Direct who I'm sure you have heard of one of those.

The fact you have never heard of them says more about your own knowledge of the world than anything else and maybe you'd be better to research it and read up on the issue rather than the "never heard of them so it doesn't matter" approach you've taken.

KieferFan69

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118827646#Comment_118827646

No I never heard of those stores either. As I am an adult I prefer woollens, linens, plain cotton, not branded clothes for tracksuited children

KieferFan69

So many adults in this country look like TY students out orienteering

GerardKeating

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118826612#Comment_118826612

Gergiev was not sacked because he was Russian, he was sacked because of his links to Putin, his support  for the "annexation of Crimea and a law aimed at stifling LGBT rights activists in Russia"

KieferFan69

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118827766#Comment_118827766

As you can read he made no public comments on the matter. His private views should not come into it. They tried to blackmail him and he resisted, we will never know the truth because of it

GerardKeating

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118827788#Comment_118827788

He did make public comments in 2014, about previous Russian military actions in Ukraine.

maestroamado

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118826623#Comment_118826623

I actually thought they were Spanish but googled and they French...

Furze99

Yes we should boycott Decathlon and all pariahs like them. Plenty of other choice for sports gear. Hit them in their pockets.

Shao Kahn

This whole boycott / cancel culture sh!te, is getting extremely yawn inducing!

Maybe it's because I don't frequent brain dead intellectual vacuums like bookface and twatter, but it just seems like one bullsh!t raison d'etre after another. (yes, I did add a bit of French for the occasion lol) And most of the people who latch onto these things, don't actually give a toss about them... they just want to be hip and trendy. Hating Russia and wearing yellow and blue colors is just the latest one.

The Ukraine crisis is a regional conflict (assuming nobody in the west does anything monumentally dumb like intervening), and there are many regional conflicts around the globe. This one is more trendy than others for some reason. It's a virtue signaler's w@nk-fest right now, so these people will no doubt milk it for everything it's worth, and then dump it whenever it becomes less fashionable!

I don't buy much stuff in Decathlon, but they are reasonably priced for outdoor gear. I might go and have a browse through their website, see if there is anything I need.

Since they are one of France's biggest companies... should we not just boycott the whole country of France!? Go on, you know you want to! 🤣

El Tarangu

Thanks OP - I live close to a large Decathlon, and would have bought there occasionally. I certainly won't be any more while they continue their business in Russia, and have emailed them explaining why.

is_that_so

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118826916#Comment_118826916

I only recently heard of them through family members who are fans and I've never been near the place. There are plenty of other more convenient options than a trip down the M50. As for boycotts it's something that would affect employees of Decathlon rather than the company themselves. It's not as if they started a war.

km991148

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118827659#Comment_118827659

You get some amount of ball chafing running in cotton.

As an adult I prefer to dress for the activity and don't really care what ignorance thinks about me. But each to their own I guess.

KieferFan69

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118827940#Comment_118827940

Which brands do you wear for running outdoors?

km991148

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118827870#Comment_118827870

Does peppering your post with punctuation show you are more intelligent..?

Anyway - your counter protest as those you complain of is essentially the same thing. The opportunity for outrage for the permanently outraged is a "****-fest" right now.. and on top of that boycotting based on international issues is not a new thing. Its not a new phenomenon that came with twitter or anything like it..

growleaves

You're talking about boycotting a business because the business itself hasn't instituted a boycott against a country.

Do whatever you like but that is fanatical.

I don't want to be a part of a totalitarian economic war.

For all we know we ourselves could eventually get hit with supply chain and distribution bottlenecks including of the food supply! See you at the food riots

km991148

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118827946#Comment_118827946

Dunno - a mixture of stuff.. some of the more expensive decathlon stuff, their cheaper ones don't last. Think I've a pair of m&s running tights, couple of Nike shorts. Pair of Adidas football shorts - just of the top of my head - I dont really pay attention, just buy good quality when I see stuff on sale or need something - why is that important?

Main point is - wool, cotton or linen is no use for doing a lot of stuff, irrespective of how you might judge it.

KieferFan69

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118827993#Comment_118827993

Okay thanks for the tips

timmyntc

Why dont we boycott Russian oil and gas also - I'm sure you're all more than happy to pay 4x the price for heating oil, petrol/diesel and electricity, right?

HerrKapitan

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118827890#Comment_118827890

You couldn't write an email to Putin while you are at it. Get him to stop this hideous war.

KieferFan69

Can any of you admit you would still not go to McDonald’s or king if they didn’t close down over there, I mean on those occasions when you are on the fly and haven’t had time to stop to eat, particularly if you have children, even though I tend to agree with the righteousness of the closures (they should keep paying salaries of course

Cyclingtourist

No I wont be boycotting Decathlon because they're continuing to sell to ordinary Russians. The suggestion is ridiculous.

El Tarangu

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118828074#Comment_118828074

Well, that would be silly and ineffectual.

Whereas lots of western companies, fearful of a public backlash, have already pulled out of Russia, thereby depriving Putin of any of the revenues their operations would have raised. If enough people stopped shopping at Decathlon, and let them know the reason, Decathlon might stop operating there, too.

Manach

No.

If we are boycotting companies for their policies, such as another example Gilette or Disney for their Progressive woke Agenda, or other companies for doing business with Totalitarian regiemes such as Apple with China, we will soon be back to having to create/source our own goods.

km991148

Gillette and Disney are woke now?

Jesus wept lol

is_that_so

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118828367#Comment_118828367

Gillette did make tits of themselves with that better man video. Lost them a lot of sales and still among the most disliked videos on YouTube. Disney thing seems to be an extremely small number of people in their workforce.

km991148

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118829334#Comment_118829334

Two of the biggest corporations on the planet - full on maximum capitalism (and all that entails) and suddenly they are "woke".. if you buy their PR bs or you are countering their PR department with sweeping statements like "progressive woke agenda" (or "progressive WOKE agenda" lol) then more fool you.

is_that_so

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118829429#Comment_118829429

I just laid out the lie of the land, with no sweeping statements. That's all you in this rant about progressiveness, capitalism and whatnot. I'm pretty indifferent to it although I do think the Gillette thing was monumentally dumb.

km991148

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118829486#Comment_118829486

"I just laid out the lie of the land, with no sweeping statements" - I know lol

I was just laughing at the notion of either company being woke. Thank you for your clarification. The response wasn't directed at you.

El Tarangu

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/2058238590/is-it-time-to-boycott-decathlon-ireland

Late update: a propos of nothing I googled 'Russia Decathlon', and learned that they ceased operating in Russia at the end of March, due to public backlash.

Fair play, Op.

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118829593#Comment_118829593

Gillette wouldn't be "woke" as such, because they haven't changed their management of the company to reflect it. Since the range of Ads by Gillette, I don't buy them anymore. Being so expensive helped, but I hated what they sought to promote. Didn't like it one bit. They make men's grooming products.. ffs. Should stick to what you do best, and know your market. Men really hate to be preached at, especially, preaching that reinforces negative stereotypes, such as toxic masculinity.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_zWIHQUf3cs

Go on take the two minutes to watch it all, and see the difference.

As for Disney, they're definitely "woke", and any serious google search will provide you with a range of articles about their employment practices, but also, the "message" within their media productions. They destroyed the Star Wars franchise with this rubbish. There was a decided shift in attitude regarding content, and the range of values that should be promoted. They went the same way as Hollywood with their pandering to particular groups, and are starting to suffer as a result.

JimmyVik

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118987977#Comment_118987977

I never saw that ad before. I think i wanna puke. Good think i just buy the razorblades because i think they are the best a man can get though, or i might consider another brand after that :)

EmmetSpiceland

Maybe the Gillette “sensitive” range might be what you lads need?

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118988119#Comment_118988119

Emmet... I suspect you would be similarly annoyed if a major company produced an ad which went through all the negative stereotypes associated with your sex, in a patronizing way, as if this is something hidden or ignored by your sex.