As a counter to the ever-growing climate impact of the fast-fashion industry, some companies are pledging to extend the life cycle of their products. We’ve seen it in the rise of retailer-specific secondhand marketplaces and mail-in repair services. Now, Arc’teryx, the retailer known for high-performance outdoor gear and apparel, is making it easier than ever for shoppers to buy secondhand.
Although durability has always been part of the brand’s DNA, its initiative, ReBIRD, reaffirms Arc’teryx’s commitment to establishing a circular economy. “We want to move from a singular owner to a chain of custody for our products — reducing the climate impact of every item we create by keeping it in play for as long as possible,” says Dominique Showers, Arc’teryx’s VP of ReBIRD.
ReBIRD is the brand’s hub for circularity, offering product care and repair at in-store service centers, and used gear through the brand’s online trade-in and resale hub, ReGEAR. Now, customers can also shop secondhand and vintage items in person at the new Arc’teryx Broadway location. With these initiatives, Arc’teryx aims to undo the way people think about their gear, encouraging more conscious consumers. “We know that looking after your gear — washing it and re-waterproofing it — can extend its lifespan by over 30 percent,” Showers says.
But Arc’teryx isn’t just buying back clothes and reselling them on its marketplace. The brand brings the same obsessive design focus to the refurbishment process. “Every piece of used gear you buy here is genuine Arc’teryx and will perform to our highest standards,” Showers says. Once sourced, each item is assessed for the condition of its zippers, closures, and seams. This might also include identifying any marks left from sunscreen and sweat, or small holes and snags.
The pieces then go through an extensive repair process to fix the identified issues, anything from replacing zippers to patching holes or repanelling whole areas of jackets. The items are washed, and, if needed, Durable Water Repellant (DWR) is applied. Finally, a senior team member will take one final pass through, checking the repairs to ensure every issue was addressed, before it’s tagged and put on the marketplace.
With the opening of the new Arc’teryx store on Broadway in New York, customers can shop the secondhand collection in person for the first time. Here, the selection is more curated, with Alpha SV jackets in vintage colorways and discontinued styles. “As you walk through the space, you’ll spot jackets that are 15 or 20 years old, and they look brand new,” Showers says. Beyond the ReGEAR collection, there’s a full floor dedicated to ReBIRD, including a large service center, where customers can get their gear diagnosed and fixed on-site.
The opening of the New York store and ReBIRD floor are just the beginning of Arc’teryx’s plan to keep gear in play. In the coming years, Showers hopes to scale the ReBIRD initiative globally. “It’s really about offering that choice to our guests,” she says. “You can buy new, or you can buy used gear which has been refurbished and brought back to its best.”
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