The great outdoors – online and for rent (BY DAN BERTHIAUME, sourced from Chain Store Age)
Coozie Outdoors is bringing the online rental model to the outdoor gear vertical.
Coozie Outdoors is launching a rental platform aimed at the $184 billion outdoor gear and services industry. The site allows customers to rent more than 100 outdoor products from 40 brands, starting at 15% off the retail price, with delivery anywhere in the continental U.S. Each rental includes a free return label.
Other online services offered by Coozie Outdoors include one-on-one customer support to help select gear, packing tips, and assistance in finding an outdoor destination. A concierge-style search recommends gear based on data such as travel dates, destination, activity type, and the number of travelers. Leveraging this data, the e-tailer delivers tailored product recommendations to each customer for rental.
“We make it incredibly simple for our customer to know what gear they need for their trip,” said Coozie Outdoors co-founder Rachelle Snyder. “And by providing our customers one-on-one support and resources, we’re helping them focus on the experience of the outdoors, rather than the hassle of gear ownership.”
“We founded Coozie Outdoors to make it easy to get outside without having to worry about whether you’ll use your gear enough to justify the purchase financially or sustainably,” said co-founder Ross Richmond.
Coozie Outdoors is partnering with Santa Monica-based venture firm and incubator Science Inc.
Online rental is becoming an increasingly popular e-commerce model. Fashion rental pioneer Rent the Runway recently obtained a $125 million investment that brought the company’s total valuation to $1 billion and total equity raised to approximately $337 million. The new funding came on the heels of a partnership between Rent the Runway and West Elm that allows Rent the Runway subscribers to rent pillows, duvets and other products from the home furnishings retailer. Rent the Runway also recently entered the children’s clothing market.
And Rent the Runway has a new competitor in FashionPass, an online clothing rental startup targeting young, Instagram-loving women.
recommend