A signature pillar of VF’s Made for ChangeSustainability and Responsibility strategy is a commitment to pursuing circular business models to limit the impact our business has on the environment by rethinking the lifecycle of our products.

Recommerce is one circular model that VF brands are using to unlock real business value. Recommerce is the process of selling previously owned, damage-and-repaired or used products. Currently, the market is growing four times the rate of the total apparel sector. For VF and our brands, recommerce provides an exciting opportunity to add new revenue streams to complement existing sales channels. Two VF brands, The North Face^® and Wrangler^®, have existing programs  

The creation of The North Face Renewed collection exemplifies how VF is working with its brands to create business value and extend the lifecycle of a product. Launched in partnership with the Renewal Workshop in June, Renewed is a platform for the sale of refurbished apparel and footwear. It is meant to address one of the apparel industry’s biggest challenges: textile waste. Every year, 85 percent of textiles produced end up in landfills.

"As we address the impacts of our products over their entire lifecycle, recommerce is an important next step in opening new markets and minimizing our impact on the planet,” said James Rogers, The North Face’s Director of Sustainability. “We are furthering our sustainability goals without sacrificing durability or technical standards. Ultimately, as we work to scale Renewed, we will be proving a larger, circular model for the industry." 

Under the Renewed program, products -- whether previously worn, returned, damaged or defective – are inspected, washed and tuned up to match the same great quality and performance our customers expect from The North Face with less impact on the earth.

This recommerce model also enables continuous consumer interaction, yielding important insights into how VF’s products are performing in the field. That allows us to build better products, extend product life, transform transactions into deeper relationships and turn waste into value.

Scale is important to the success of VF’s shift to circular business models, which means bringing recommerce to more brands within its portfolio. Plans are already underway for Wrangler to offer its premium pop-up products using the Renewal Workshop’s in-house design capabilities and e-commerce competency. And by offering products at lower price points, recommerce allows new consumers to experience our iconic brands.  

Learn more about VF’s Made for Change Sustainability & Responsibility strategy.