New Balance is broadening the ambition of its resale initiative, extending Reconsidered beyond footwear to include pre-owned clothing as the brand looks to keep more products in circulation. The move expands the reach of New Balance Reconsidered resale, which debuted two years ago and has already helped recirculate 100,000 pairs of New Balance shoes.
Under the updated model, the platform will add apparel to its existing selection of footwear. Items offered through the programme are sourced from consumer returns that cannot be resold as new. Before being listed, each product will be cleaned and inspected, with the aim of ensuring shoppers receive pieces that meet quality expectations while still delivering the value proposition of resale.
New Balance is also continuing its trade-in pathway for gently worn shoes. Consumers in the US can send in eligible footwear by mail or drop items at participating retail locations in exchange for store vouchers. For now, the trade-in option applies only to shoes; apparel is not included in the exchange programme.
“Reconsidered has been an impactful platform for New Balance consumers to access popular, like-new or gently worn styles while helping to extend the life of our footwear,” Tracy Knauer, vice president of North America, marketing and direct to consumer, at New Balance explained.
“We’ve seen an influx of new customers come to us through Reconsidered, so we’re excited to continue offering them even more options through our expansion into the apparel category.”
The operational backbone for New Balance Reconsidered resale is provided by Archive, the resale technology partner supporting the platform, and Tersus Solutions, which handles cleaning, fulfilment and warehousing for the programme.
“With Reconsidered seeing strong engagement and continued growth, New Balance expanding into apparel is a natural next step,” added Emily Gittins, CEO of Archive. “We’re proud to work with a brand that’s investing for the long term, building systems to help keep products in circulation at scale and proving that resale can be core to how a modern brand operates.”
Archive has worked on similar branded resale programmes elsewhere, including partnerships with Advanced Clothing Solutions to support resale services for brands such as The North Face and Pangaia in the UK.