This summer, Utah-based DPS Skis launched an eyebrow-raising expansion of its resale program. Instead of just repairing its own skis for online credit, the small company will now issue credits for a used ski of any brand.
It’s rare for brands to repair products from competitors — especially in the ski industry. Moreover, DPS’s expanded repair program is unlikely to offer significant revenue for the Salt Lake City–based brand. Instead, company leaders see it as a way to gain new customers who aren’t familiar with DPS’s carbon-fiber skis, which are longer-lasting (and more expensive) than many cheaper competitors.
“We’re a small brand with a small team, so we’ve got to think and act minimal,” Zach Clayton, DPS’s global marketing manager, told GearJunkie. “A big portion of why we’re doing this is brand awareness. The uncertainty of the economy plays a role in it, too.”
As outdoor brands face an array of problems — from dwindling consumer optimism to rising prices caused by Trump’s tariffs — the circular economy presents an opportunity to keep products in the hands (or on the feet) of outdoor participants. In 2025, both small brands and independent retailers are finding new reasons to repair and resell outdoor gear.
GearTrade Helps Brands Resell
Many larger outdoor retailers and brands, like REI Co-op and Patagonia, have long offered resale programs. Others, like The North Face and Arc’teryx, have joined the trend in just the last few years.
But even smaller brands have begun seeing the benefits of entering the circular economy. That’s often possible thanks to GearTrade, an independent online resale platform that partners with companies like DPS Skis to implement programs focused on repairing and/or reselling used gear. The GearTrade platform recently celebrated several new partnerships it formed within the last year.
That includes Flylow, a Denver-based outdoor apparel brand. The company started accepting used gear for credit last year.
Jones Snowboards also kicked off a partnership with GearTrade in October 2024, offering a similar program to DPS Skis. Jones will accept used Jones boards for varying levels of credit, depending on their condition. The brand will also recycle used boards from other brands — though you’ll only get a $50 credit for each non-Jones board.
“Where we’ve seen a lot of opportunity is with brands operating resale programs, but aren’t selling through the used inventory as fast as they would like,” Aaron Provine, the owner and CEO of GearTrade, told GearJunkie.
He noted that many brick-and-mortar retailers have long offered used gear. But now, more brands are hopping on board by offering the same thing through their own websites or partnerships with platforms like GearTrade.
Forced by Economic Imperatives
As President Trump’s trade war continues to levy higher taxes on imported goods and materials from around the world, more brands will be looking for other ways to bring in revenue, Provine said.
“As the tariffs play out, resale is a good way to open up that pipeline,” Provine said. “I think we’re going to see more retailers get into the second-hand space.”
Kelly Davis, the research director for the Outdoor Industry Association (OIA), echoed this sentiment. Small brands will be most affected by Trump’s tariffs, as they will be less able to absorb the price increases and will instead pass them on to consumers.
However, she also pointed out that U.S. participation in outdoor activities continues to increase. More people are getting outside through “gateway” activities like hiking, cycling, running, and fishing, Davis said.
She pointed out that, for a newbie hiker, it likely makes more sense to find a used Arc’teryx jacket for $100 than pay $400 for a brand new one.
“And that is good for the industry,” Davis added. “In addition to the sustainability goal, it introduces that casual participant to a higher level of gear. That makes them more comfortable. If they buy a bunch of low-end shit at Target and they have a terrible experience, how many are ever going to camp again?”
Retailer Hops on Board
Even before Trump started levying heavy taxes on imports, many outdoor brands and retailers had started to make plans to embrace the circular economy.
That includes Neptune Mountaineering, an outfitter in Boulder, Colo., that first opened its doors in 1973. It’s one of the few retailers that has long offered an extensive selection of niche outdoor gear, like canyoneering equipment. The store’s efforts to add a used gear section were “accelerated” when prices started rocketing up across the industry this year, said owner Maile Spung.
Called Second Send, Neptune’s used gear inventory will become available in-store on Labor Day weekend.
Spung told GearJunkie that the used gear, most of which comes from the Boulder community, will allow the brick-and-mortar retailer to increase revenue without selling higher-priced products. As Spung continues to receive emails “every week” about price increases, “it feels important to commit to things we can control,” she said.
“It’s really hard to be welcoming when we’re only carrying expensive equipment,” Spung told GearJunkie. “We’re hoping this will welcome more people to the store.”
Sustainability Trend Is Uncertain
Even used gear is dependent on a supply chain. In this case, it’s simply the willingness of consumers to hand over their stuff — and hopefully buy something to replace it. For GearTrade, which has been in the resale business for a long time, it’s much more complicated than most realize.
If outdoor brands can find ways to offer their products at reasonable prices, then consumers will be more likely to keep buying new gear — without necessarily selling off their old stuff. That could create a bottleneck for the used-gear supply chain.
“As tariffs come into play, people are going to be looking for a magic bullet, and I’m not sure that resale is that bullet,” Provine said. “It’s taken us years to develop where we are, and that experience is eye-opening.”
OIA’s Davis agrees that it’s hard to know how much the resale market can help brands survive this year’s economic turbulence. But she thinks a circular market “could be pretty healthy for the outdoor industry.”
“It’s worthwhile to not panic and forget about the humanity of our consumer at the same time,” Davis said. “If this is something that people can get accustomed to and they can grow into their purchasing routine so that they’re not always looking for that brand new jacket or that brand new backpack — I think that could be a healthy new habit for the outdoor consumer.”
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