Reducing waste in clothing production, conserving energy, and minimizing environmental harm are important, but even more crucial is making products that last as long as possible. Now, repair services are positioned as a service that affirms the product’s value, proving that the product is not disposable but rather something durable and valuable. Companies are expanding both online and offline services, with unique offline flagship stores and personalized services, to offer differentiated experiences. Let’s look at some key trends through a few examples.
Zara’s Pre-Owned Service Expands Further, Now Open in the US: After launching its Pre-Owned platform in 16 countries including Italy, the UK, and France, Zara has now extended this service to the US, marking its first global expansion outside of Europe. Inditex first announced this in its H1 2024 report. The Pre-Owned platform can be accessed on Zara’s website, app, and in stores. This platform offers three main functions: repair, resale, and donation. Through the repair service, customers can request repairs for any season’s Zara clothing, from buttons and zippers to fabric damage. The resale option allows customers to buy and sell pre-owned Zara items with original information and seller-provided images organized by collection. With this program’s launch in the US, Zara aims to facilitate faster access to sustainability.
Arc'teryx's Rebird™ Service Center and ReGEAR Collection: Canadian brand Arc'teryx operates both online repair services and offline service centers. Through the online service, customers can quickly and easily request repairs by filling out an online form and uploading photos of the product with issues. Once the item is sent to the company, the repair process begins. Arc'teryx offers free repairs for products within the warranty period, and even beyond this period, repair costs are kept within a reasonable range regardless of wear and tear.
The part gaining more attention is the Rebird care program. Arc'teryx operates ReBIRD™ service centers in locations such as New York, Vancouver, Toronto, Beijing, and Colorado. These centers offer a simplified processing time of five days and address 95% of product management needs outside of factories, including repair, major zipper replacements, and refinishing. The brand emphasizes that this service aims not only for simple repair but also to provide tools and knowledge to extend the life of items, promoting a sustainable shift in consumer behavior. In September 2024, they opened a flagship store on Broadway in New York, spanning 14,164 square feet, featuring a ReBIRD service center on the second floor. Additionally, they launched ReGEAR shopping in-store, where Arc'teryx technicians carefully curate pre-owned items to meet high-quality standards. The limited-edition capsule collection offers a sustainable alternative to buying new products, with each item fulfilling the durability and reliability expected from Arc'teryx gear.
Patagonia's Worn Wear program has been part of the outdoor brand's DNA since the 1970s. Worn Wear is a comprehensive initiative for sustainable reuse, including personal repair and maintenance tools (DIY kits and online tutorials), resale and repair services, and recycling lines for clothing and bags. Patagonia collects 17,000 products annually. The program is not only for those purchasing the best gear for the first time but also for those buying secondhand Patagonia products, which can also be sent in for repairs. Patagonia provides unique repair services, including a Worn Wear Truck that has traveled to numerous events across various regions since 2013. Through this repair and resale program, customers can return products by mail or in-store and receive vouchers worth up to 50% of the item’s resale price for selected secondhand clothing sold at a discounted price.
Special Customization for Personalization, Levi’s Tailor Shop: Levi’s Tailor Shop, part of the world’s best-selling denim brand, offers repair support. Expert tailors and seamstresses can help customize jeans by shortening the length, adjusting the waist, or slimming the legs for a perfect fit. Additionally, customers can personalize their denim with patches or decorations, and even completely upcycle old jeans into new pieces. 
Operating with Regional Differences is also a new approach. In March 2024, Levi's reopened its store in Kyoto, Japan, as a NextGen store, located at the heart of Teramachi Kyogoku Shopping Street. This store spans four floors with a total area of over 570 square meters, more than twice the size of the previous one. A key difference in Levi’s Tailor Shop is the expanded customization possibilities, offering customers a chance to make Levi's clothing truly their own through alterations, repairs, and customization with patches, pins, and fabric panels, operated by skilled tailors. At the Kyoto store, customers can use rare fabrics from the famous antique fabric store Chingireya and exclusive patches designed by local illustrator Hideto Honda, providing unique materials and customization options exclusive to this location. 
Kathmandu's Kathman-REDU Supports Secondhand Clothing Disposal: This year, New Zealand outdoor clothing brand Kathmandu launched the Kathman-REDU program in 2023 to collect, repair, resell, or recycle items that are worn, damaged, or otherwise unsellable. This program began at Kathmandu stores in Richmond and Galeria, Melbourne, and plans to expand further. Customers can donate used or damaged Kathmandu items at two stores around Melbourne, with part of the donation proceeds going toward repairs and resale. Kathmandu also collaborates with recycling organization Upparel to operate a secondhand clothing disposal system. Clothing collection bins are installed at all 24 Kathmandu stores around Melbourne, allowing customers to donate old, worn, or damaged Kathmandu gear. Suitable items are repaired and returned to the market under the Kathman-REDU initiative. 
Kathmandu's Kathman-REDU Supports Secondhand Clothing Disposal: This year, New Zealand outdoor clothing brand Kathmandu launched the Kathman-REDU program in 2023 to collect, repair, resell, or recycle items that are worn, damaged, or otherwise unsellable. This program began at Kathmandu stores in Richmond and Galeria, Melbourne, and plans to expand further. Customers can donate used or damaged Kathmandu items at two stores around Melbourne, with part of the donation proceeds going toward repairs and resale. Kathmandu also collaborates with recycling organization Upparel to operate a secondhand clothing disposal system. Clothing collection bins are installed at all 24 Kathmandu stores around Melbourne, allowing customers to donate old, worn, or damaged Kathmandu gear. Suitable items are repaired and returned to the market under the Kathman-REDU initiative.
https://www.fashionnet.or.kr
Reducing waste in clothing production, conserving energy, and minimizing environmental harm are important, but even more crucial is making products that last as long as possible. Now, repair services are positioned as a service that affirms the product’s value, proving that the product is not disposable but rather something durable and valuable. Companies are expanding both online and offline services, with unique offline flagship stores and personalized services, to offer differentiated experiences. Let’s look at some key trends through a few examples.
Zara’s Pre-Owned Service Expands Further, Now Open in the US: After launching its Pre-Owned platform in 16 countries including Italy, the UK, and France, Zara has now extended this service to the US, marking its first global expansion outside of Europe. Inditex first announced this in its H1 2024 report. The Pre-Owned platform can be accessed on Zara’s website, app, and in stores. This platform offers three main functions: repair, resale, and donation. Through the repair service, customers can request repairs for any season’s Zara clothing, from buttons and zippers to fabric damage. The resale option allows customers to buy and sell pre-owned Zara items with original information and seller-provided images organized by collection. With this program’s launch in the US, Zara aims to facilitate faster access to sustainability.
Arc'teryx's Rebird™ Service Center and ReGEAR Collection: Canadian brand Arc'teryx operates both online repair services and offline service centers. Through the online service, customers can quickly and easily request repairs by filling out an online form and uploading photos of the product with issues. Once the item is sent to the company, the repair process begins. Arc'teryx offers free repairs for products within the warranty period, and even beyond this period, repair costs are kept within a reasonable range regardless of wear and tear.
The part gaining more attention is the Rebird care program. Arc'teryx operates ReBIRD™ service centers in locations such as New York, Vancouver, Toronto, Beijing, and Colorado. These centers offer a simplified processing time of five days and address 95% of product management needs outside of factories, including repair, major zipper replacements, and refinishing. The brand emphasizes that this service aims not only for simple repair but also to provide tools and knowledge to extend the life of items, promoting a sustainable shift in consumer behavior. In September 2024, they opened a flagship store on Broadway in New York, spanning 14,164 square feet, featuring a ReBIRD service center on the second floor. Additionally, they launched ReGEAR shopping in-store, where Arc'teryx technicians carefully curate pre-owned items to meet high-quality standards. The limited-edition capsule collection offers a sustainable alternative to buying new products, with each item fulfilling the durability and reliability expected from Arc'teryx gear.
Patagonia's Worn Wear program has been part of the outdoor brand's DNA since the 1970s. Worn Wear is a comprehensive initiative for sustainable reuse, including personal repair and maintenance tools (DIY kits and online tutorials), resale and repair services, and recycling lines for clothing and bags. Patagonia collects 17,000 products annually. The program is not only for those purchasing the best gear for the first time but also for those buying secondhand Patagonia products, which can also be sent in for repairs. Patagonia provides unique repair services, including a Worn Wear Truck that has traveled to numerous events across various regions since 2013. Through this repair and resale program, customers can return products by mail or in-store and receive vouchers worth up to 50% of the item’s resale price for selected secondhand clothing sold at a discounted price.
Special Customization for Personalization, Levi’s Tailor Shop: Levi’s Tailor Shop, part of the world’s best-selling denim brand, offers repair support. Expert tailors and seamstresses can help customize jeans by shortening the length, adjusting the waist, or slimming the legs for a perfect fit. Additionally, customers can personalize their denim with patches or decorations, and even completely upcycle old jeans into new pieces.
Operating with Regional Differences is also a new approach. In March 2024, Levi's reopened its store in Kyoto, Japan, as a NextGen store, located at the heart of Teramachi Kyogoku Shopping Street. This store spans four floors with a total area of over 570 square meters, more than twice the size of the previous one. A key difference in Levi’s Tailor Shop is the expanded customization possibilities, offering customers a chance to make Levi's clothing truly their own through alterations, repairs, and customization with patches, pins, and fabric panels, operated by skilled tailors. At the Kyoto store, customers can use rare fabrics from the famous antique fabric store Chingireya and exclusive patches designed by local illustrator Hideto Honda, providing unique materials and customization options exclusive to this location.
Kathmandu's Kathman-REDU Supports Secondhand Clothing Disposal: This year, New Zealand outdoor clothing brand Kathmandu launched the Kathman-REDU program in 2023 to collect, repair, resell, or recycle items that are worn, damaged, or otherwise unsellable. This program began at Kathmandu stores in Richmond and Galeria, Melbourne, and plans to expand further. Customers can donate used or damaged Kathmandu items at two stores around Melbourne, with part of the donation proceeds going toward repairs and resale. Kathmandu also collaborates with recycling organization Upparel to operate a secondhand clothing disposal system. Clothing collection bins are installed at all 24 Kathmandu stores around Melbourne, allowing customers to donate old, worn, or damaged Kathmandu gear. Suitable items are repaired and returned to the market under the Kathman-REDU initiative.
Kathmandu's Kathman-REDU Supports Secondhand Clothing Disposal: This year, New Zealand outdoor clothing brand Kathmandu launched the Kathman-REDU program in 2023 to collect, repair, resell, or recycle items that are worn, damaged, or otherwise unsellable. This program began at Kathmandu stores in Richmond and Galeria, Melbourne, and plans to expand further. Customers can donate used or damaged Kathmandu items at two stores around Melbourne, with part of the donation proceeds going toward repairs and resale. Kathmandu also collaborates with recycling organization Upparel to operate a secondhand clothing disposal system. Clothing collection bins are installed at all 24 Kathmandu stores around Melbourne, allowing customers to donate old, worn, or damaged Kathmandu gear. Suitable items are repaired and returned to the market under the Kathman-REDU initiative.
https://www.fashionnet.or.kr