Dive Brief:

• Following a series of trade-in events last year, Dick’s Sporting Goods has teamed up with SidelineSwap, the online marketplace for new and used sporting goods, to host 200 trade-in events in 19 states during the first half of 2023, the retailer announced on Thursday. SidelineSwap’s experts will use the company’s trade-in software and value guide to assess the value of customers’ gear at Dick’s stores.
• States hosting trade-in events include Pennsylvania, California, New Jersey, Illinois, Michigan and fourteen others. Attendees can exchange their used sports equipment and gear for a gift card at the retailer, and they also have the option to donate some or all of their trade-in value to local sports organizations.
• Customers whose items can’t be traded in can recycle or donate their items at the events. On average, attendees received $88 for their trade-ins during last year’s events, the retailer said.

Dive Insight:

Hoping to capture a piece of the multibillion-dollar market for used items, Dick’s Sporting Goods and SidelineSwap are expanding their partnership. 

Since its founding in 2015, SidelineSwap has helped consumers earn more than $100 million from reselling gear, according to the press release. Partnering with Dick’s offers customers a convenient place to trade in their gear for store credit, Brendan Candon, CEO of SidelineSwap, said in a statement. 

“With the start of the spring sports season approaching, this is a great time for families to take stock of what they have and what they need,” Peter Land, chief sustainability and communications officer at Dick’s Sporting Goods, said in a statement. “SidelineSwap is a terrific partner that’s supportive of our efforts to make an impact in the re-commerce space.”

In addition to hosting trade-in events with SidelineSwap, Dick’s Sporting Goods is also an investor in the startup. When the retailer launched its DSG Ventures fund last November, Dick’s kicked off the program by investing in SidelineSwap alongside other sports-related companies like Moolah Kicks, Out&Back Outdoor and Courtside Ventures. At the time, the retailer said its investment in SidelineSwap came as the two were strengthening their recommerce partnership. 

In addition to its collaboration with SidelineSwap, Dick’s Sporting Goods has also partnered with Out&Back to sell used items. Last April, the two teamed up to pilot a buyback program for outdoor gear at select Dick’s and Public Lands’ locations in Denver and Pittsburgh. 

Despite the economic uncertainty plaguing consumers and retailers, Dick’s saw some growth in Q3. The company’s sales rose 7.7% year over year to nearly $3 billion and 50% compared to 2019, according to its third-quarter earnings report. 

But as the retailer invests more in recommerce, so are competing outdoor and activewear companies. In 2019, Patagonia opened its first brick-and-mortar pop-up store for Worn Wear, its resale arm, which launched online in 2017. Last year, Eddie Bauer and On each rolled out resale options for customers.