Roger Federer-Backed Running Shoe Brand Launches Resale Site in Green Push

Seeking to boost its sustainability and reach new customers, Swiss athletic footwear and apparel brand On — which is backed by tennis star Roger Federer — has launched a resale site called Onward.

The new site will buy and sell used shoes and will do the same with used apparel by the end of the year, according to a Thursday (Sept. 8) report by Bloomberg.

The launch came about two weeks after On released a report on its sustainability initiatives in which it said it is working toward having all its products returned to the company so that it can reuse, recycle or repurpose them, according to an Aug. 29 press release.

“It will obviously take us years to be fully circular,” On Global Direct-to-Consumer Head Samuel Wenger said in the Bloomberg report, adding that Onward “is a perfect in-between step.”

With Onward, consumers can shop for used gear as well as send their gently used On shoes to the company for trade-in, according to the new resale site. For trade-in, consumers fill out a form on the site, get a prepaid shipping label and mail them to the company. In return, for shoes that are in good condition and eligible, they get a $35 credit toward the purchase of other On products.

As PYMNTS reported in April, fashion brands are retaking resale after they saw a host of other players doing the same.

Read more: More Fashion Retailers Take Resale in-House to Control Experience, Data and Dollars

Resale-as-a-Service (RaaS) accomplishes several things for makers of clothing and accessories. Among these is continued profit from items they originally made and sold in other channels, the ability to control the presentation of their brand and the shopping experience, and the ability to own their customer relationships and data.

In the athletic apparel space, Lululemon is among the brands that offer trade-in and resale programs.

Read more: Lululemon Expands Resale Program Within the US

“We’re deeply committed to creating quality products built to last and that are better for people and the planet,” Lululemon President, Americas and Global Guest Innovation Celeste Burgoyne said in an April press release announcing the expansion of the company’s trade-in and resale program.