French-headquartered global sports retail group Decathlon has agreed to acquire Bergfreunde, a pure-play online retailer of mountaineering and climbing equipment.

With the acquisition, German-headquartered Bergfreunde is expected to reach new customers in the outdoor-premium market segment through a fully digital business model, expanding its footprint in Europe.

“This strategic partnership will enable Decathlon to strengthen our global outdoor offering with a recognised and valued premium pure-player,” said Barbara Martin Coppola, CEO at Decathlon.

“With a strong presence in several European markets – including Germany, Europe’s biggest outdoor market – Bergfreunde will add to our ecosystem, alongside Alltricks.”

Bergfreunde currently sells through Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Denmark, France, Finland, Italy, the Netherlands, Spain, Sweden, and the UK.

Upon closing of the transaction, Bergfreunde will remain an autonomous subsidiary and will continue operating under the same brand.

“Decathlon is a financially strong and long-term operating partner, and we are confident they are the right partner for us as we enter this next phase of growth,” said Matthias Gebhard, MD at Bergfreunde.

“We look forward to benefiting from Decathlon’s leadership in sustainability, internationalisation and scaling.”