Decathlon and Hirestreet link up for skiwear rental

By

Nigel TAYLOR

Published
Jan 25, 2022

How to bring down the cost of an expensive ski holiday. Decathlon UK has launched a new partnership with fashion rental platform Hirestreet, becoming the first major sports brand to offer the service.

For just a starting price of £15 for a four-day rental period, Decathlon is offering 18 different styles of high performance ski and hiking jackets and trousers for women, ranging from sizes 6-16. Prices include accidental damage cover for minor wear and tear. Additionally, used garments will be sustainably cleaned on return by a Hirestreet warehouse partner.

With usual retail skiwear prices ranging from £60 to £200, Decathlon noted that rental was “an obvious starting point… but we expect to expand our offer in the future to make getting active even easier and more sustainable.”

Sharon Poulter, Rental Manager at Decathlon, added: “Renting our textile products is a new venture for us, and one that we're excited to be sharing with Hirestreet.”

“It is another way in which we are making sport more accessible - through convenience, price point and flexibility, all while reducing our impact on the planet.”

Isabella West, founder and CEO, Hirestreet, added: “Demand for rental fashion boomed in 2021 and customers are now looking to hire items for more than just formal occasions. For many of us, who ski infrequently, renting skiwear makes a lot of sense: it’s high in price, bulky to store and rarely used.”

She added: “Decathlon has been a market leader in sportswear for decades and we share similar values to sustainably make clothing - be it sportswear or fashion - accessible to everyone and with the planet in mind.”

Winter sports have come back into focus now many of the world’s slopes are reopening as the effects of the pandemic diminish. That’s especially so with outdoors pursuits having taken on a bigger importance in people’s lives after suffering successive lockdowns.

And just how much of a focus the ski market is seeing can be seen as, Pentland Brands’ Ellesse label is moving back into the skiwear market with a new AW22 winter sports line. Boss has also dived deeper into winter sports apparel and the Winter Olympics are also putting the category in the spotlight.