Reselling high-end outdoor gear has always been an excellent way to upgrade your gear without having to throw out the old. This market has transitioned through different methods, from garage sales and ‘swap meets’, to Craigslist, forums, and most recently Facebook Marketplace.
Now, if you’re looking to get rid of your older Arc’teryx gear in Canada, there’s an easier way.
Arc’teryx has recently announced they’ve brought their Used Gear Trade-in program to Canada.
Originally launched last year in the U.S., the Used Gear program allows anyone with approved Arc’teryx gear to trade in the items and receive 20% of their original retail value as a store credit.
The benefits of this program are several, including incentivizing people to clean out their closet and make it easier for buyers to acquire used gear, slowing the need for new manufacturing. In addition, from a business standpoint, it allows Arc’teryx to control and get a piece of the long-term market value of their products as opposed to the typical privately-sold used gear.
To take part in the program, check to see whether your item is in the approved list, and then simply bring it into an Arc’teryx brand store or outlet anywhere in Canada.
While you might be able to trade in your items to Arc’teryx, it may still be a while until you can purchase the used items in Canada. According to Arc’teryx, the processing facilities for used gear are in the United States, which currently limits their ability to sell it outside of the region.
This program follows similar models from other well-known companies that are offering trade-in and used-item programs, such as IKEA’s sell-back program announced in 2018.
For many companies that are offering physical goods that have the potential for a long-life, this could be a viable way of protecting waste from easily heading to landfills, reducing the need for new manufacturing, and simultaneously building a sustainable revenue model.
In fact, this could be a model of business that combats highly wasteful industries, such as those leveraging fast fashion and planned obsolescence (the act of purposefully making products that need to be thrown out and replaced frequently). By taking advantage of the used resale market, there is an incentive for any manufacturer to make more durable, long-lasting products.
