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Renting instead of owning is a key theme in discussions on sustainable consumption. At the Swedish ski resort in Åre, Emelie and Magnus Sellberg run Rentaplagg, a European pioneer in the industry. BY MATS NYMAN PHOTO GÖSTA FRIES
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entaplagg was founded in 2014, while Emelie Sellberg was still project manager for an events company and Magnus Sellberg had begun to study environmental science after years in the sports industry. In January that year, before opening the store, they attended the ISPO trade show in Munich to find a business partner. “People first thought the idea was completely crazy. No one believed in our business concept,” recalls Emelie Sellberg. Since then, the fashion rental market has gained momentum worldwide. The most recent addition is Urban Outfitters in the US, which launched its rental service, Nuuly. Also in the US is Rent the Runway, the industry giant now worth over USD 1 billion with more than 9 million registered users. Founded in 2009, it focused exclusively on bridal and formal wear from famous designers. In the fall of 2017 the company shifted gears to casual wear, offering both rental of individual garments and a subscription service, including a subscription plan with an unlimited number of outfits and swaps. Developments in the outdoor industry have been considerably more modest but have recently started to gain speed. So far, the projects mainly involve hardware. For example, REI in the US has offered a growing range of equipment rentals since last year. US companies like Coozie and Outdoors Geek also offer a wide range of tents, sleeping bags and other hardware. The same trend can be seen in Europe, albeit on a smaller scale. Vaude rents equipment online and through its stores in Germany. Sweden’s largest retail chain, Naturkompaniet, offers tent rentals at all stores. However, rental operations at the major players
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are still modest compared with the two-person company from Åre, Sweden’s largest and most renowned ski resort. “When we started, we worked constantly, with the mindset that someone else would soon enter the arena, so we had to hurry. But that still hasn’t happened after five years,” says Emelie Sellberg.
Demand outpacing supply?
Customers in Sweden are ready, at least in theory. Over the past year the Swedish Trade Federation has noted a clear change in attitude among consumers regarding renting instead of buying. In 2017, ten percent stated in their annual sustainability survey that they would rent more in the coming year than in the previous year. One year later the figure was 24 percent. Maria Sandow is administrative director of the Swedish Trade Federation STIL, an organization for Swedish fashion retailers. She says these figures are a clear sign of a change in attitude among consumers. But she believes that how much retailers dare to believe in and market a rental service is also important. “Do rentals compete with sales, or complement them? Does in-store marketing focus on rentals, or on buying products?”
Tradition of rentals at ski resorts
The idea for Rentaplagg was born while waiting for the ski lift in Åre as Emelie and Magnus Sellberg observed the variety of styles among skiers, from exclusive ski outfits to ill-fitting clothing. “We found it strange that people could rent skis and boots for their ski vacation, but not apparel. We also discussed the environmental aspects,” says Emelie Sellberg. They entered a business concept contest,
