Dive Brief:

• Joining in on the resale trend, Brooks Running has introduced ReStart, a recommerce program that will refurbish and resell used Brooks footwear in the U.S., the company announced on Thursday. 
• The brand has partnered with Trove, a recommerce technology provider, to run ReStart. Through the program, Brooks will offer secondhand products across three quality levels: Like New, Great and Good. 
• Prices for the used items on ReStart begin at 35% off the manufacturer’s suggested retail price. Among the items available on the platform are Brooks’ Ghost and Glycerin styles, as well as products from its Hyperion franchise.

Dive Insight:

The ReStart program is part of Brooks’ overall sustainability goals by extending the life of used products, the brand noted in its announcement.

“Recommerce allows us to keep gear on the run while supporting our aim to take responsibility for the impact of our business,” Dave Kemp, director of corporate responsibility at Brooks, said in a statement. “The launch of ReStart is an important step in the brand’s long-term, science-backed approach to sustainability.”

Trove, Brooks’ resale partner, says it processes more than one million items annually and its secondhand goods sales reduce greenhouse gas emissions by keeping items in use longer. In addition to Brooks Running, Trove has landed numerous brands and retailers looking to resell used goods, including running brand On, Lululemon and Carhartt. About a year ago, Trove said its resale technology was available in over 700 stores across the U.S.

The resale technology provider has been in growth mode: The company raised $77.5 million in Series D funding in 2021 to grow its brand partnerships, improve its technology and logistics infrastructure, enter luxury retail and pursue European consumers.

Trove faces stiff competition from others in the resale space as well, including ThredUp. That company has amassed its own lengthy list of brand and retail partners, such as The Container Store, J. Crew and Athleta. 

As more retailers jump on the resale trend, ThredUp predicts that the resale market is on the rise overall. In its report released in April, the company projected that the U.S. resale market would reach $70 billion by 2027 and $350 billion globally.

Though resale services offer an alternative to fast fashion, it remains to be seen whether they are profitable and truly beneficial to the environment. Some online resale providers have struggled to maintain profitability, which experts say might be more attainable through local physical stores. Meanwhile, some industry experts question whether the shift to resale is enough to balance the fashion industry's harm to the planet.