A Look Inside New Balance's Entry Into Resale

Archive, a branded resale technology platform, recently partnered with New Balance to launch in-store trade-in at nearly 100 participating U.S. retail locations. As the natural progression of the New Balance Reconsidered program, which launched earlier this year, customers can now bring in their gently worn footwear to receive a voucher towards their next purchase at New Balance locations.

New Balance Reconsidered features both customer-sourced as well as brand-owned inventory of cosmetically imperfect products that could not be sold. Customer-supplied products sell on average 2.6 times faster than brand supply, fueling supply from multiple channels to ensure sales growth and meet consumer demand.

In an email interview with Total Retail, John Stokes, director of sustainability at New Balance, discusses the athletic footwear and apparel brand’s new in-store trade-in program.

Total Retail: Why has New Balance decided to launch an in-store trade-in program?
John Stokes: Launching our own resale platform allows our customers to shop for and/or trade in their pre-owned New Balance footwear. We know the footwear industry has an outsized environmental impact, including too many products ending up in a landfill, so launching Reconsidered is one way New Balance is focusing on extending the life of our products.

John Stokes, Director of Sustainability, New Balance

TR: How is this an extension of the New Balance Reconsidered program?
JS: New Balance Reconsidered launched in February 2024, allowing customers to trade in their gently worn New Balance shoes via mail or in-store drop-off to receive a voucher on eligible trade-ins to use toward their next New Balance purchase. After testing the in-store trade-in program in eight stores, we recently extended that aspect of Reconsidered to nearly 100 participating U.S retail locations.

TR: Will this trade-in program be extended to include New Balance's digital channels? Why or why not?
JS: Reconsidered is currently available online at NewBalanceReconsidered.com. Customers can shop for imperfect or pre-owned product at that site. They can also opt to either mail in their pre-owned product to us or bring it to a store to trade in (check local listings for participating stores). Either way, participants will receive a voucher for use at the store or online.

TR: Why is Archive the right partner for New Balance's in-store trade-in program?
JS: New Balance partnered with Archive due to its comprehensive experience working with an impressive roster of global brands to build innovative resale platforms, and because of its seamless integration with Tersus Solutions, which provides warehousing, order fulfillment, and product cleaning where needed. The Archive and Tersus teams helped us to streamline the end-to-end consumer experience with an eye toward our larger sustainability goals.

TR: What are the business benefits that New Balance hopes to realize from its trade-in program?
JS: Offering this option for customers is an important way to take even more responsibility for the products we put into the world and is an important step toward creating a more circular footwear industry. This focus on longevity and circularity feeds into our ambitious climate goals, which include finding new ways to generate business value that's not solely dependent on new product creation. To learn more about New Balance’s sustainability and climate goals, visit the 2023 Sustainability and Impact Report.

TR: Similarly, how will the trade-in program benefit New Balance customers?
JS: We know customers want to do more to reduce their environmental impact. When they choose to shop New Balance Reconsidered, they're able to get quality footwear at a great price point. By participating in the program — buying and trading in New Balance gear — customers know that they're helping extend the lifecycle of our products, keeping waste out of landfills.

TR: Is there a plan to expand the in-store trade-in program to more locations based on customer demand and feedback? How were the initial locations chosen?
JS: As of now, more than 100 of New Balance’s owned retail store locations are participating. We're hopeful the program will continue to be a success and participants will continue to grow.