Decathlon becomes ‘Nolhtaced’ in three Belgian cities

‘Nohltaced’ is the theme of Decathlon’s latest campaign to promote “reverse shopping,” in which customers can resell old or unused sporting goods to Decathlon, for repair and resell under warranty.

“We want to make sure everyone can play sports in an environmentally conscious way. To grow sustainably, we are therefore fully committed to our buy-back service, our second-hand offer, rental and repairs,” said Arnaud De Coster, Nolhtaced Belgium manager.

“At first glance, this name change to Nolhtaced may seem like a marketing stunt, but our main aim is to make our buy-back service known to the widest possible audience and thus reuse as many items as possible, lower the threshold for second-hand and increase purchasing power.”

Already, Decathlon has purchased back 26,000 items during a test phase earlier this year. The goal of this campaign is to reuse as much equipment as possible by reducing its environmental impact. Additionally, it plans to avoid waste, by replacing the logo on the company’s website and social media channels, as well as the banners on the facades of three shops with the new name.

“Our classic consumption pattern has to change: buy fewer new products and resell, repair or rent older material. Consumers are also starting to look at stuff differently than before. It is less about possession and more about use” said Joeri Moons, sustainability manager at Nolhtaced Belgium.

One-third of Belgians have put off buying new sportswear due to the increase in costs of living, so the second-hand supply offers consumers with lower incomes the opportunity to buy sports equipment at a reduced cost.

In addition, Decathlon offers a purchase voucher that remains valid for two years for customers who sell their goods to them. Moreover, products that cannot be resold can be left behind for recycling free of charge.