May 03, 2022

Dick’s Sporting Goods is piloting an in-store buy-back program for select outdoor hard and soft goods.

The program is being done in partnership with Out&Back Outdoor, a re-seller founded in late 2019. Out&Back’s platform works with brands such as Patagonia, Marmot, The North Face, Arc’teryx, Carhartt, Herschel Supply, Pendleton, Roxy and Spyder. Dick’s partnership marks Out&Back Outdoor’s entry into hard gear resale.

Along with previously accepted items like outerwear, tents, backpacks and other soft goods, newly accepted categories by Out&Back as part of the new Dick’s alliance include skis and snowboards from Burton, Atomic, Bent Metal, Blizzard Tecnica, GNU and Nordica. Additional categories will be added as the partnership evolves.

“We launched Out&Back because we knew there was an unmet need for reselling outdoor and adventure-based gear,” said Barruch Ben-Zekry, Out&Back’s CEO. “When listening to our consumers’ needs, it became clear that an all-in-one platform inclusive of equipment and accessories was the obvious next step for us.”

Dick’s will pilot the program at its locations in two key outdoor markets, Denver and Pittsburgh, as well as Public Lands, the retailer’s new outdoor-themed concept, in Cranberry Twp, PA. Stores will accept unwanted or unused gear from Friday through Sunday in exchange for cash payments, depending on merchandise condition.

As part of all gear buy-backs, one percent of the value of offers given to sellers will be donated to 1% For The Planet, the environmental non-profit.

“Working with Out&Back to give people an opportunity to explore the outdoors and reduce our environmental footprint at the same time is a win-win,” said Peter Land, chief sustainability officer at Dick’s.

A number of retailers and brands, largely across the apparel space, have been launching resale efforts. Beyond taking back equipment in addition to apparel items, Dick’s stands out for accepting a wide array of brands. Gap, H&M, Madewell, Urban Outfitters and DSW are among those accepting any brands as part of their in-store buy-back programs, while Lululemon, Levi’s, Patagonia and Nike only take back their own product.