Eye on Retail: Dick's builds on resale approach

Dick’s Sporting Goods is moving forward in a big way with its burgeoning resale market presence.

The nation’s largest sporting goods retailer is making a strategic investment into SidelineSwap, a platform for buying and selling new and used sporting goods. The unspecified investment builds upon a partnership the two companies initially launched in August 2022.

SidelineSwap offers the SidelineSwap Trade-in Platform, which includes pop-up events, in-store and online trade-in options, and a suite of tools for resellers to manage their own trade-in experiences. The Trade-in Platform runs on SidelineSwap’s proprietary marketplace technology and resale data.

The platform’s hybrid model, which includes peer-to-peer and first party sales, gives sellers the option to choose direct resale or instant trade-in value. Customers can also find listings on some platform partners’ branded marketplaces.

As part of their previously existing partnership, Dick’s and SidelineSwap are offering a series of 50 new trade-in events in seven states through the end of 2022. The companies have previously held 10 trade-in events at four Dick’s locations, with plans to expand their partnership to additional markets in 2023.

Customers who attend trade-in events at Dick’s locations can bring their used gear and have it evaluated by SidelineSwap buying experts, using SidelineSwap's proprietary trade-in software and value guide.

At the trade-in events, customers can exchange their used sports gear and receive Dick’s gift cards to use toward their next purchase. Customers also have the option to donate all or a portion of their trade-in value to select local sports organizations. Items that do not qualify for trade-in can be donated or recycled.

Dick’s has also piloted an in-store buyback program with Out&Back, an online platform that buys and sells new and used outdoor and adventure gear. The program allowed customers to bring select outdoor gear (including hard and soft-goods) into participating Dick’s Sporting Goods stores (on Fridays through Saturdays) and receive a cash payment from Out&Back.

"This is a big step for us," said Brendan Candon, Co-founder and CEO of SidelineSwap. “This partnership started with our commitment to make it easy for anyone to sell their used sports equipment. We’ve spent the last 5+ years building the best online resale marketplace in sports, and now we’re expanding the business to power resale wherever athletes shop or play through our trade-in platform.”

“Our trade-in experiences are a true win-win-win,” said Doug Smith, VP of partnerships at SidelineSwap. “Customers earn great value on their used equipment with hardly any work, retailer partners increase sales and foot traffic while embracing sustainability, and SidelineSwap will have an even better selection of deals. We’re just getting started on a much bigger vision for resale in sports and beyond.”

Founded in 1948 and headquartered in Pittsburgh, Dick’s Sporting Goods Inc. operates more than 850 Dick’s Sporting Goods, Golf Galaxy, Field & Stream, Public Lands, Going Going Gone!, and Warehouse Sale stores, online, and through the Dick’s mobile app. Dick’s Sporting Goods also owns and operates Dick’s House of Sport and Golf Galaxy Performance Center; as well as GameChanger, a youth sports mobile app for scheduling, communications, live scorekeeping and video streaming.

Founded in 2015, SidelineSwap offers inventory for resale across all sports, and sellers can turn their used sporting goods into cash or shopping credit.