In a nook of the gleaming new Arc’teryx store on Toronto’s Bloor Street West, Jesse Chan and Yamel Zacarias rifled through a rack of jackets most would consider misfits one October afternoon. Some had gashes or nicks in their sleeves, a stubborn musk or zippers that wouldn’t budge with the best of tugs. At least one had a hemline so tattered, the elastic that cinches in its waistline was hanging on for dear life.
But none of the pieces were beyond repair. With some stitching, patching, pressing and a spin cycle or two, Chan, Zacarias and their team knew they could return the garments to their owners just like new in a matter of days, if not minutes. The work would be done on-site and at no cost to consumers through Arc’teryx’s ReBird, one of several in-store repair programs retailers have launched in recent years to help customers hold onto their beloved garments for longer.
Such programs spanning Levi’s, Uniqlo and more are meant to boost sustainability, but they present a dichotomy: if consumers shop less because their purchases last longer, does that spell trouble for retailers? No, insist companies and marketing experts. They say what a retailer might risk in profit by offering repairs, they get back in consumer affinity for their brand over the long run. “Customers are going to be more and more loyal to that company and overall, they will choose them over their competitors,” said Tandy Thomas, the E.
Marie Shantz fellow of marketing at Queen’s Universit.