Summary

The blog explains how VAUDE aligns design, materials, and supply chain to bring products back and reuse them. The result: more control, more stable margins, and additional revenue across the entire product lifecycle. VAUDE shows how an outdoor brand creates new revenue streams from durable products. Through repair, resale, and rental, products are monetized multiple times instead of just once.

With over 50% recycled materials, climate neutrality since 2022, and its own repair and rental models, VAUDE creates the foundation to monetize products multiple times and generate several revenue cycles per product instead of a single sale.

How is VAUDE positioned?

VAUDE has built its entire value chain around a clear goal: products should not only be sold but kept in the system long-term. Today, many products already consist of at least 50% recycled or bio-based materials, with the goal of increasing this share significantly.

At the same time, the company started early to actively control its supply chain. Since 2001, the bluesign® standard has been integrated. This means that strict environmental and chemical standards are defined already at the material and process level, ensuring that energy, water, and harmful substances are systematically controlled and reduced across the entire production.

In addition, VAUDE has developed its own systems like “Green Shape,” which not only label products but act as an internal control system. They define clear criteria for materials, design, and production and actively influence decisions in sourcing and development. This is complemented by new business models such as rental (iRentit), where products are used multiple times and brought back into circulation, creating additional revenue cycles without producing new goods.

What makes VAUDE unique in the outdoor market? Durable products as a revenue source

VAUDE is not building a sustainability project but a system that keeps products in the market longer and monetizes them multiple times.

This is especially powerful in the outdoor segment. Products must be durable, functional, and repairable. VAUDE uses this logic to ensure products are not sold just once but kept in circulation longer through repair, resale, and continued use.

Design, materials, and supply chain are built so that products do not leave the system after the first sale.

Step-by-step: How the VAUDE system works

1. Durable outdoor products

VAUDE determines future business success already at the design stage. Products are developed to last long, be repairable, and be easy to disassemble. These decisions directly impact the second-life market: the higher the quality, the higher the resale value and the more efficient the refurbishment. At the same time, the likelihood increases that products can actually be returned into the system.

2. Sustainable materials outdoor

A key lever at VAUDE lies in its material strategy. Conventional raw materials are deliberately replaced with recycled or bio-based alternatives, reducing dependency on volatile raw material markets while creating a more stable cost structure. At the same time, the company actively creates demand for recycled materials and supports the development of functioning return systems.

3. Controlling the supply chain

VAUDE does not leave the supply chain to the market. Through standards such as bluesign®, materials, chemicals, and production processes are actively managed. The system starts at the input level and prevents problematic substances before they even enter production. In concrete terms, this means less risk, less dependency, and significantly higher transparency across materials and processes.

Picture of a person working with clothes

4. Repair service for outdoor clothing

A key part of the strategy is extending product usage. VAUDE deliberately invests in repair services, spare parts, and product designs that enable repairs.

In addition, its own evaluation methods have been developed to measure the repairability of products. This leads to longer usage, more customer touchpoints, and a higher likelihood that products return to the system and can be monetized again.

5. Monetizing products multiple times

VAUDE does not use products just once but actively extends their economic lifecycle. Through rental models, second-hand offerings, and resale, multiple revenue cycles are created per product. One example is the rental model launched in 2018, where products are used for a limited time and then returned to circulation. This allows a product to generate revenue not just once, but multiple times.

6. Returning materials

In the long term, VAUDE is working to fully return materials and make them reusable. This is still a challenge, as less than 1% of textiles worldwide are actually recycled. Nevertheless, the company is actively building structures such as textile-to-textile recycling, take-back systems, and partnerships across the value chain to make this possible. The goal is to keep materials in the system permanently and use them as a recurring resource.

The economics behind the system: More revenue per product

VAUDE consistently links sustainability with economic goals. A high share of recycled materials reduces dependency on new raw materials and stabilizes cost structures. At the same time, climate neutrality since 2022 provides additional regulatory security and strengthens the brand.

However, the key factor is long-term development. For over 20 years, VAUDE has continuously evolved its systems, from supply chain control to new business models. The result is a system that is not only more sustainable, but also more economically stable and scalable.

What other brands can learn from VAUDE

VAUDE does not treat sustainability as an add-on, but as the core of its business model. Product strategy, supply chain, and business models are interconnected and centrally managed.

At the same time, the company focuses on control instead of compensation. Its own standards and clear guidelines ensure that materials, quality, and processes remain predictable.

The key difference lies in system thinking: design, usage, return, and resale are all connected. This creates a closed loop that works economically.

How to profitably manage second life

Circularity only pays off when it is implemented as a system. The real lever lies in the interaction between take-back, refurbishment, and resale — this is exactly where koorvi comes in.

VAUDE shows how products can generate revenue multiple times through repair, resale, and rental. The key is not a single measure, but the combination of all steps. You bring products back in a structured way, put them back on sale, and unlock additional revenue potential.

Start the Circularity Check now or get in touch and find out how to profitably manage resale and secondary markets.

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FAQs

How does VAUDE make money from used products?

VAUDE extends the economic lifecycle of its products. Instead of products leaving the system after the first sale, they can generate revenue again through repair, resale, or rental. This not only creates an additional revenue stream but also improves the utilization of already produced goods. Especially for high-quality outdoor products with long lifespans, this model is highly attractive.

Why does VAUDE rely on recycled materials?

For VAUDE, recycled materials are not just a sustainability topic but a strategic lever. They help reduce dependency on new raw materials and volatile sourcing markets. At the same time, they improve planning reliability in procurement and production. For the company, this leads to greater long-term stability in cost structures and supply.

What role does the Green Shape system really play at VAUDE?

At VAUDE, Green Shape is much more than a visible product label. The system sets internal standards for which materials, designs, and production methods are even considered. It influences key decisions in development and sourcing and creates the foundation for durable, repairable, and reusable products. This makes Green Shape a critical building block for second-life models.

How can I integrate second-hand into my brand?

The most effective starting point is usually small and operationally clear. You begin with take-back processes and simple resale models before expanding into more complex steps like refurbishment or rental. It is important to assess products by condition, standardize processes, and build the right sales channels. This is how individual returns gradually become a scalable business model.

Is this model only relevant for outdoor brands?

No, the principle is much broader. It works wherever products are durable, have resale value, and can be inspected, repaired, or remarketed. This applies to electronics, furniture, sports equipment, or children’s products just as much as outdoor goods. Outdoor is simply a strong example because durability, quality, and resale value are especially clear.