Dedicated DHL control tower operations provide full visibility for complex global operations spanning Europe, Asia, North Africa and South America

HO CHI MINH CITY, VIETNAM - Media OutReach - August 7, 2019 - DHLGlobal Forwarding, the leadinginternational provider of air, sea and road freight services, partnersDecathlon, the French sporting goods giant to provide comprehensive servicesfor its international supply chain operation. At the DHL Fashion and RetailConference held in Ho Chi Minh, both companies shared what it takes tosuccessfully operate a multi-national supply chain, enabling Decathlon storesto stock over 22,400 items covering more than 85 different types of sports.

(From left) Archer Fu, VP, Head of Business Development, DHL Global Forwarding Asia Pacific; Thao Nguyen, Head of Procurement and Logistics, Decathlon Vietnam; and Marc Meier, SVP, Global Head of International Supply Chain, DHL Global Forwarding, at a joint press briefing.

Marc Meier, SVP, Global Head of International Supply Chain, DHLGlobal Forwarding said, "DHL Global Forwarding runs a dedicated DHL control towerwhich provides a single point of contact in Vietnam and Taiwan for Decathlon's operations.Providing full visibility for Decathlon's logistics teams, our control towerservices oversee Decathlon's air, sea and road shipments from factories inVietnam and Taiwan to the world, including Brazil, Canada, China, Colombia, Europe,India, Malaysia, Morocco and Singapore."

Global businesses that source from multiple locations andship to numerous destinations face a particularly complex supply chain thatdemands greater visibility and control to optimize operations and reduce costs.With more than 1,000 supply chain experts across 82 offices in 46 countriesworldwide, DHL's International Supply Chain services offer comprehensivesolution design and project management backed by a global governance structurethat guarantees consistency across operations.

"Decathlon prioritizes the quality of our products and theentire customer experience to ensure we secure our positioning as the go-toretailer of affordable sports apparel, accessories and equipment. While we rampup on our offline and online presence for the convenience of our customers, weare working hard behind-the-scenes to make sure that our manufacturing andlogistics processes can efficiently cater to the demand of our discerningcustomers," said Thao Nguyen, Head of Procurement and Logistics, DecathlonVietnam.    

In Vietnam, Decathlon launched two retail stores in Hanoiand Ho Chi Min City in 2019, spanning 4,300sqm and 2,600sqm respectively, andintroduced 70 sports brands. The company collaborates with six businesspartners across Vietnam to keep prices and lead time competitive for the localmarket and to reduce carbon footprint. As a full-fledge logistics partner, DHLGlobal Forwarding also provides road freight solutions for the brand totransport goods from Vietnam to Cambodia. 

Vietnam's attractiveness as a manufacturing hub for theworld lies in its geo-strategic location, youthful demographics and abundanceof affordable land and labor. Coupled with easy access to multiple markets viafree trade agreements, the country's textile and retail industry is primed forgrowth as Vietnamese spending power increases and more international brandsseek to establish their presence here.

"Today's retailers require agile and innovative supplychains to cater to a new generation of customers who demand instantgratification and tap opportunities in emerging markets. With our extensiverange of logistics services and expertise in the retail sector, DHL GlobalForwarding is well-positioned to support the growth of businesses here," saidArcher Fu, VP, Head of Business Development, DHL Global Forwarding AsiaPacific.

50 Years DHL

In 2019 DHL is celebrating 50 years since the company'sfounding by three entrepreneurs in San Francisco in 1969. DHL began as adisruptor to the traditional delivery industry, circumventing bureaucracy withan innovative new service to deliver documents by air overnight. Since then,DHL has grown into a globe-spanning family of DHL companies with about 380,000employees in over 220 countries and territories that covers the entire spectrumof logistics and supply chain services. DHL's customer-centricity and can-doculture have fueled five decades of innovation -- from the DHL 1000, one of the first word processing computers in the world,to using the purpose built StreetScooter, an environmentally friendly deliveryvehicle powered by an electric drive and developed by Deutsche Post DHL Group.With the Mission 2050 commitment to reach zero group-wide emissions by 2050,DHL is continuing to be a trailblazer in the logistics industry.

DHL -- The logisticscompany for the world

DHL is the leading global brand in the logistics industry. Our DHL familyof divisions offer an unrivalled portfolio of logistics services ranging fromnational and international parcel delivery, e-commerce shipping and fulfillmentsolutions, international express, road, air and ocean transport to industrialsupply chain management. With about 380,000 employees in more than 220countries and territories worldwide, DHL connects people and businessessecurely and reliably, enabling global trade flows. With specialized solutionsfor growth markets and industries including technology, life sciences andhealthcare, energy, automotive and retail, a proven commitment to corporateresponsibility and an unrivalled presence in developing markets, DHL isdecisively positioned as "The logistics company for the world".

DHL is part ofDeutsche Post DHL Group. The Group generated revenues of more than 61 billioneuros in 2018.

Decathlon

Decathlon is a retail chain that owns manyexclusive brands since 1976 in Lille, France. As of 2019, Decathlon has 85,000employees from 80 countries, sharing two core values of "Life Vitality"and "Responsibility" with the key message: "To sustainably makethe pleasure and benefits of sports accessible to many". Decathlon Vietnamwas established in 1995 with production activities. Until now, DecathlonVietnam has more than 400 teammates working in around 100 factories in thecountry to manufacture and ship tens of millions of products to our stores allover the world.

In Vietnam, apart from the online sales site launched in 2017, Decathlon hasopened two mega stores in Hanoi with a scale of 4,300m² on April 27,2019 and in Ho Chi Minh City with a scale of over 2500m² on June 1,2019, providing products of more than 70 sports at each store. Mr. LionelAdenot -- Decathlon Vietnam country leader, Decathlon Vietnam said: "We aimto bring the joy and benefits of sports to many Vietnamese people in asustainable way, creating a positive footprint in Vietnam through sports!"