Rental platform rebrands as O’rentees
16/12/2024
“When we launched in 2018, we started by renting snow sports apparel for kids, but to be honest our original name was a good fit for about six months,” Pierre-Gilles Massoulier, general manager, tells sportstextiles. In the relatively new garment rental business, the company based in Cernex, which not far from Geneva, has taken its time to test the concept, without calling on any outside funding. Since its launch, it has expanded to adult skiwear, along with a summer mountain sports offering of backpacks and tents for hiking and camping, for adults and children.
In addition to its B2C operations, O’rentees has also formed partnerships with brands looking to offer their own rental services or for an outlet for products from previous seasons. “These partnerships have been a great boost to our business,” said Mr Massoulier. Renting requires specific services that brands and retailers rarely have, such as dry cleaning, repairing and the logistics of sending clothes to individual customers, he said. O’rentees is working with or in tests with a number of brands, including Rossignol, Sun Valley and Columbia Sportswear.
The company has also set up a network of partners at retailers and ski schools where clients can pick up the rental equipment directly at their ski resort destination. O’rentees has 80 retail partners in the Alps and Pyrenees.
The sustainable business model is finding new followers, not only among consumers but also brands. “Renting allows outdoor enthusiasts to travel light, and take the train instead of their car to head to the mountains,” said Mr Massoulier. For brands, he pointed out that renting extends the life span of a product, and offers another avenue of sale for collections from previous seasons, without impacting sales of new goods.
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