SEATTLE (BRAIN) — REI is all in on its used gear website, which it launched last year as trial, or beta, program. The co-op launched an updated website in March and announced Wednesday that the program is officially out of beta. While the beta site contained some cycling goods, the refreshed site gives cycling its own category page.
The site offers mostly lightly used gear that was returned to REI under its guarantee program. Prices are often discounted up to 65 percent from the original.
"We launched Used Gear Beta online last year with the belief that we could help get more people outside by finding new homes for pre-loved gear and apparel," said Peter Whitcomb, REI's director of strategy and leader of the co-op's used gear efforts.
"In its first 10 months, the beta test has been successful beyond all expectation, which tells us there is an inherent appetite for high-quality, lightly used product at lower price points," he said.
The coop announced that women's apparel is the most popular used product category and midweight down and synthetic jackets are the most popular products.
The used gear store is part of REI product sustainability program. The sustainability program also includes a feature on the REI website that allows consumers to sort and filter selections based on whether they are Bluesign approved, fair trade certified or organically grown.
