Decathlon has released a statement in response to the Federal Court's ruling regarding the retailer's sale of sporting items that did not meet mandatory safety standards.
The Court found that Decathlon's breach of the Australian Consumer Law (ACL) was the result of a general lack of attention to its legal responsibilities as well as a failure to take effective and timely action in response to correspondence received from the ACCC in relation to the offending products.
Decathlon has since welcomed the "resolution of its labelling issue" with the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC).
"We are grateful to the ACCC and the Federal Court of Australia for their assistance in resolving the labelling issue," Decathlon Australia CEO Olivier Robinet said.
"The ACCC plays an important role in working with businesses to keep the Australian community safe and informed and we value and respect their work.
"We were disappointed to find that among our many hundreds of products sold here in Australia that labelling for two of these product types, basketball rings and backboards and portable swimming pools, contained labelling in accordance with European and Singapore standards.
"These products now carry labels in accordance with Australian requirements, as do all of our products.
"As soon as we were made aware of the European labelling in 2018, we withdrew the products from sale and updated the labels for the Australian market.
"Our basketball rings and backboards and portable swimming pools are sold all over the world as well as here in Australia and they are some of our most popular and much-loved products, especially now with so many people in lockdown at home - being able to shoot hoops in your yard is a great way to engage in sport at home and stay safe.
"No one has ever been injured or had any product quality issues with these items.
"Quality and safety are at the heart of everything we do," he said.
With the proceedings now concluded, Robinet added that the retailer will continue its expansion across Australia.
"With this matter behind us we are continuing to focus on our growth and expansion across Australia including the opening of our new store in South Morang, Victoria, which will swing open its doors in a few months just in time for Christmas and create 50 new jobs for sports passionate people.
"As a brand and one of the world’s largest sporting goods designers and retailers, we are proud of our heritage and our commitment to helping and supporting people to be active and participate in sport and recreation in a safe, fun and affordable way.
"Through our low-cost approach, we make sport accessible for many.
"As always, safety is a key focus for us here at Decathlon," Robinet continued.
"With the ongoing impact of COVID, our aim is to ensure that our stores offer the safest and most hygienic shopping environments possible and our valued customers are also able to access our products online, to help keep them active and healthy during this difficult time and via several click and collect locations for free," he said.
Decathlon operates over 1600 stores across 57 countries.
The brand launched in the Australian market in 2017 and now operates five stores across Sydney and Melbourne.