For immediate release: 2o January 2022

Demand for skiwear rental exceeds all expectations

Sustainable skiwear retailer EcoSki is reporting a sell-out start to its rental platform this winter, with founder Rachael Westbrook saying demand has “exceeded all expectations”.

“I went into the skiwear rental totally blind. It hadn’t really been done on this scale before, and a lot of people told me it wouldn’t work, but I’m passionate about keeping this hard-wearing kit in circulation and making the most of its life, and I’ve been blown away by the demand,” says Rachael, who launched EcoSki as a one-stop shop for sustainable ski wear in early 2021. “We were at full capacity on some items over Christmas and New Year, so I’d like to thank everyone for believing in this concept and seeing rental as a serious option.”

The EcoSki ski wear rental service was launched last October powered by MY VENTURES, the technology arm of luxury rental and resale platform MY WARDROBE HQ. Together they offer practical, cost-effective solutions for skiers wanting high-quality kit without paying high prices — or having to store bulky kit all year round. The big-name brands stocked include Patagonia, Picture, Mammut, icebreaker, Ortovox, Planks and Amundsen. Stock is available on EcoSki’s rental platform as well as a limited range on MY WARDROBE HQ.

EcoSki Rental offers everything from avalanche kits to snowsuits to goggles — the most popular items have been ski pants followed by jackets and then accessories. Half of the skiwear rented so far has been kit for women, with demand then split evenly between men’s ski kit (26%) and junior rental kit (24%).

Natalia Pawlak, COO of MY VENTURES, says: “We’ve had an incredible response to the launch of EcoSki’s rental platform and are thrilled to be supporting Rachael and her team alongside our partners at ACS Clothing in delivering a truly innovative solution that is promoting sustainability.”

Kit is available for rental periods of four, eight, 12 or 16 days, starting at £4 per day. It arrives at a customer’s door the day before their ski trip and can be packaged up, without being washed, the day after the customer returns. After each rental, items are cleaned and reproofed or repaired if necessary and then sterilised via an innovative, eco-friendly Ozone chamber before being dispatched to the next customer.

Leicestershire mum-of-three Sarah La Terche chose rental kit from EcoSki for her December ski trip as it seemed “the sensible choice”.

She explains: “We booked our pre-Christmas holiday to Switzerland ages ago but were never 100% sure we would actually make it …So we gave ski wear rental a go for the first time. With three growing children and a chance the whole trip would be cancelled it seemed a sensible option.

“I had many conversations about outfits and fit with the EcoSki team who were incredibly helpful. The kit (which is so stylish) arrived the day before our flight and it all fitted perfectly. The return process was so simple. You just shove everything in a bag (unwashed) , pop the return label on the parcel and take it to the local DPD drop-off point. No cleaning, no dramas and it meant we could enjoy Christmas without piles of ski laundry to get through. I would highly recommend it.”

There is the added bonus that if you fall in love with an item of kit while you have it on rental, it’s easy to buy — minus the rental cost — effectively offering a “try before you buy” option, too.

Natalia Pawlak adds: “EcoSki is the world’s first truly contemporary ski wear rental company. Gone are the days of associating ski rental with old, musty, oversized and outdated garments — renting with EcoSki is an experience customers are looking forward to rather than fearing!”