Winmark Corporation, parent company of used sports equipment retailer Play It Again Sports, entered into a partnership with snow sports marketer and distributor Elan Sports USA. Winmark will become the Official Resale Partner of Elan, and Elan will be a Premier Sustainability Partner of Winmark and Play It Again Sports.
As partners equally driven by sustainability, Winmark and Elan said they would work together to drive circularity in 280 Play It Again Sports franchised locations throughout North America “by helping customers extend the life of their quality used ski equipment, reduce environmental impact and provide value to winter sports enthusiasts in their local communities.”
Having recycled “more than 1.5 billion items since 2010,” Winmark stood out as an obvious partner for Elan, who has its own “dedicated sustainability initiatives that include responsible sourcing, forest replenishment and community focus.”
“Winmark has already been a partner with this iconic ski equipment brand,” said Renae Gaudette, chief operating officer. “Taking this step to formally become an official resale partner is a natural progression of our existing long-term relationship. Aligning our shared sustainability goals with Elan by providing value to our customers and minimizing environmental impact through our Play It Again Sports franchised locations just makes sense.”
As a Premier Sustainability Partner of Winmark and Play It Again Sports, Elan will sponsor Buy Drive events and promotions “incentivizing skiers to sell their Elan gear to their local Play It Again Sports locations for cash on the spot instead of going to waste.”
Elan and Play It Again Sports will also team up to produce “co-branded sustainability-focused content that will be distributed on all social channels and also promoted by Play It Again Sports via local stores, website and national PR efforts.”
“Taking our partnership with Winmark to the next level in North America not only supports our deep-rooted sustainability efforts, but also helps get more skiers on snow, enjoying the sport of skiing through an extended and prolonged life of Elan equipment.” stated Jeff Mechura, president and CEO, Elan Sports USA.
