DE RE PODCAST

Laurens Nolet

Podcast

Episode #75

Summary

After several years of building impact at Roetz Bikes, Laurens Nolet took a step back to reflect on what kind of change he wanted to help drive next. Today, as Circular Lead at Decathlon Netherlands, he is focused on expanding and improving the retailer’s circular offering at scale. In this episode, Laurens shares what it takes to make circular propositions work inside a large international organisation, why repair, rental and second-hand are becoming increasingly important in sports retail, and how lessons from Roetz continue to shape his thinking. It is a grounded conversation about sustainable innovation, commercial reality, and turning circular ambition into practical systems.
“If you keep operating linearly in a volume business, that model eventually runs out, you have to start the transition to circularity in time.” - Laurens Nolet, Decathlon @ReTheAgency

Summary

After several years of building impact at Roetz Bikes, Laurens Nolet took a step back to reflect on what kind of change he wanted to help drive next. Today, as Circular Lead at Decathlon Netherlands, he is focused on expanding and improving the retailer’s circular offering at scale. In this episode, Laurens shares what it takes to make circular propositions work inside a large international organisation, why repair, rental and second-hand are becoming increasingly important in sports retail, and how lessons from Roetz continue to shape his thinking. It is a grounded conversation about sustainable innovation, commercial reality, and turning circular ambition into practical systems.

About

Laurens Nolet is Circular Lead at Decathlon Netherlands, where he works on scaling circular business models across one of the country’s largest sports retailers. Before joining Decathlon, he spent several years at Roetz Bikes, where he helped build circular bicycle propositions alongside a strong social-employment mission, ultimately serving as COO and board member. With a background in engineering, strategy consulting, and impact-driven operations, Nolet brings both systems thinking and practical execution to the circular transition. His work focuses on making models such as repair, resale, and rental commercially viable while staying true to the broader goal of long-term systemic change.

About

Laurens Nolet is Circular Lead at Decathlon Netherlands, where he works on scaling circular business models across one of the country’s largest sports retailers. Before joining Decathlon, he spent several years at Roetz Bikes, where he helped build circular bicycle propositions alongside a strong social-employment mission, ultimately serving as COO and board member. With a background in engineering, strategy consulting, and impact-driven operations, Nolet brings both systems thinking and practical execution to the circular transition. His work focuses on making models such as repair, resale, and rental commercially viable while staying true to the broader goal of long-term systemic change.

Summary

After several years of building impact at Roetz Bikes, Laurens Nolet took a step back to reflect on what kind of change he wanted to help drive next. Today, as Circular Lead at Decathlon Netherlands, he is focused on expanding and improving the retailer’s circular offering at scale. In this episode, Laurens shares what it takes to make circular propositions work inside a large international organisation, why repair, rental and second-hand are becoming increasingly important in sports retail, and how lessons from Roetz continue to shape his thinking. It is a grounded conversation about sustainable innovation, commercial reality, and turning circular ambition into practical systems.