This week REI launched a used gear site that sells returned gear that had previously been sold at their “garage sale” events. The new site already has an inventory of over 20,000 products.
Getting 50% off a tent is all well and good but how do you know if the tent will be any good. Well, REI staffers inspect each piece of gear before it goes up on the site. Even better there’s a 30-day return policy.
For now the site is just a beta test but the company has high hopes for the future of used gear. Vik Sahney, REI’s divisional vice president of sustainability said in an email to employees, “First, connecting pre-loved gear to new owners keeps that gear out of landfills. Second, we can offer the gear at a discount because it had a previous owner, which lowers the cost barrier to entry for someone who wants to try out a new outdoor activity. Third, because we work across 1,400 different brands, we can be a platform for not just a single brand’s goods.”
You can check out the new site and score some killer deals @ rei.com/used