Dive Brief:
- The North Face expanded its Renewed trade-in program on Monday, allowing customers to return preowned items online and in-store, according to a press release sent to Fashion Dive. The trade-in portion of the program was previously in-store only, per a spokesperson for resale platform Archive, which powers the program.
- The North Face will give customers brand credit for each qualifying used piece that can be resold, per the release. The expanded program offers credit tiering of either $10, $30 or $50 to customers for each item they return, based on the item’s condition.
- Accepted pieces will be inspected, cleaned and repaired before being offered for resale via the brand’s Renewed online store.
Dive Insight:
The North Face originally launched its Renewed program in 2018 as an online-only portal for the brand to sell returned, defective or damaged apparel. In 2022, Archive began powering the program, according to a spokesperson for the resale platform. That same year, The North Face relaunched the Renewed program and debuted 20 circular styles designed to be easily disassembled and recycled.
The Renewed program also partners with textile recycling firm Tersus Solutions, per the release.
“Renewed was launched with the goal of enabling returned or damaged items to be repaired, recycled, or resold at scale — ensuring The North Face’s gear receives a second life and avoids contributing to landfill waste,” Emily Gittins, Archive’s co-founder and CEO, said in an emailed comment.
Through the program, customers can return used products in person to The North Face retail or outlet stores, or mail items in via an online trade-in process. If an item doesn’t qualify for renewal or resale, The North Face will offer customers the opportunity to have the brand take back any item for donating or recycling.
Archive powers resale initiatives for more than 50 fashion brands, per the spokesperson, including Dr. Martens, New Balance and Oscar de la Renta. The platform offers peer-to-peer, in-store and mail-in takeback programs for brands, and was launched in 2021.
VF Corp.-owned The North Face has struggled recently. The brand’s revenue was down 3% year over year for the first quarter of 2025. The company attributed the decline to difficulties in the U.S. wholesale market.
In June, Caroline Brown was named global brand president, after briefly sitting on the holding company’s board of directors.
Correction: This story has been updated to reflect the scope of the program and number of Archive brand partners.
