In the Spotlight | Cirkel Supply Co
Find out about Cirkel Supply Co and how they are keeping skiing sustainable with an innovative new rental system.
Cirkel Supply Co are skiwear rental specialists in Switzerland, offering skiers a new, circular way to reduce the impact of their sports by renting premium ski clothing.
Cirkel offers high quality outerwear, midlayers and gloves from premium brands such as Houdini and Patagonia. You can order your rental outfit on Cirkel’s website, and select a delivery point at your Swiss destination (e.g., your hotel). This service allows you to travel light without heavy bags, and enjoy top quality gear that keeps you cosy on the mountain.
Fall Line got lucky enough to chat to the team about this intriguing venture. Read on to find out what they had to say…
What is Cirkel Supply Co?
Cirkel Supply Co are a skiwear rental company based in Switzerland providing a new way to reduce the impact of our sport while offering a range of high quality gear from top brands.
Cirkel’s service is perfect for passionate British skiers who take one or two trips to the Alps each season. Renting with Cirkel enables these occasional adventurers to enjoy top quality products, at a fraction of the cost of ownership.
Cirkel was founded in 2020 by Anders Bergenstrand and Per Berthels – two Swedish friends and keen skiers who saw an opportunity to improve the traditional, linear model of outdoor retail. In winter ‘22, Anders and Per met Anna Smoothy – a Kiwi freeride skier and outdoor aficionado conducting a research project on the sustainability of rental. They teamed up, and Anna’s project proved the environmental potential of Cirkel’s model.
Did you spot a niche?
Within Europe’s 60 million skiers, 36 million are already renting skis & boots – indicating they don’t ski often enough to justify ownership of ski gear. But historically, clothing rental has not been fit for purpose: old, cheap gear in a dusty corner of a rental shop that’s no longer waterproof.
Cirkel Supply Co solves this problem by offering premium products from responsible brands who share their passion for a sustainable future. Cirkel has worked hard to make their service ultimately convenient: delivering rental packages directly to the customer’s hotel and alternative delivery points around the Swiss Alps.
What makes your service different?
As compared to linear sales and other rental offerings, Cirkel’s rental service is more:
- Convenient. Delivering directly to Swiss destinations so that you can travel light
- Accessible. Their rental pricing is a more affordable way to access quality gear
- Sustainable. See the next section to read about the sustainability of Cirkel’s service
Why should fall line readers use your service?
Because many skiers only get to the mountains for a week each winter, a huge amount of ski clothing sits in a closet for most of the calendar year. Cirkel enables those occasional adventurers to avoid buying clothes, reducing the impact of their next big trip.
A business model lifecycle assessment estimates that Cirkel’s rental service emits 76% less CO2 than linear sales. To find out why Cirkel is a sustainable alternative to buying, read about this study’s results and methods in Cirkel’s article.
Which Fall Line readers are best suited to renting with Cirkel?
FAMILIES. Because kids grow out of skigear at lightning speed! Cirkel has premium rental options for babies, toddlers, kids, teens and adults.
OCCASIONAL ADVENTURERS. If you’re not on the mountain too often, rental saves you:
- Time. Thanks to Cirkel’s seamless ‘phygital’ ordering and delivery systems
- Money. That you normally spend buying ski clothing
- Storage. More space in your closet
- Travelling time and money. Spent in bag drop queues, and on luggage fees when travelling
BEGINNERS. Those heading out on their first ski adventure and aren’t sure if they’ll make it for round two! Rental provides all the comfort with none of the commitment.
What is the dream for the brand?
Cirkel’s vision is to make circular business models the first choice for skiers to enjoy and care for nature.
Cirkel’s rental service is a perfect solution for the occasional adventurers outlined above, and there are great circular possibilities for skiers who are out there everyday, such as:
- Houdini’s cradle-to-cradle designs (e.g., the Houdini D Jacket). Quality products that are recycled and can be recycled into new products
- Houdini Reuse and Patagonia Wornwear programs which allow shoppers to buy quality second hand gear
Join Cirkel Supply Co on their mission to make alpine adventures more sustainable and accessible to everyone by ordering your clothing rental today: buy less, use more, go explore!
