Salomon’s new repair partnership with Amsterdam-based United Repair Centre marks one of the first structured after-sales repair programs in performance outdoor apparel – and points to a model that blends circularity with social impact.
The outdoor performance category has long sold durability as a core value proposition. What it has rarely offered is a scalable way to act on that promise once a product fails in the field. Salomon’s new repair partnership with United Repair Centre (URC), announced in April 2026, begins to close that gap – and does so through a social enterprise model that links product longevity to workforce inclusion.
The two companies confirmed the collaboration at the opening of URC’s new Paris hub, which began operating in March 2026 with support from Patagonia. Salomon used the event to confirm its participation as URC’s newest brand partner, joining Patagonia in a network that now spans Amsterdam, London and Paris.
What the service covers and how it works
The program launched in France in April 2026 and is scheduled to expand to the UK, Germany, Spain, Italy and the Netherlands by summer 2026, with a broader rollout across the EMEA (Europe, Middle East and Africa) region to follow. It focuses specifically on high-performance technical items – including products with waterproof membranes and complex multi-layer constructions – where repair requires specialist capability rather than general alterations.
Customers request a repair through a dedicated website, receive a pre-paid shipping label (Salomon covers the logistics cost), and are reported to receive their items back within 7 to 10 days. The cost of the repair itself falls to the customer. That cost structure is worth noting: unlike some take-back or rental programs that bundle after-sale services into the product price, this model requires a discrete purchasing decision, which may influence uptake rates in price-sensitive segments.
A social enterprise at the center of the circular chain
URC was founded with a dual mandate – delivering professional-grade repair work while providing training and employment pathways for refugees and people from marginalized communities. The organization’s expansion into Paris, its first French hub, extends a model already operating in Amsterdam and the UK, and follows support from Patagonia that helped make the new location viable.
Each garment repaired through the URC network is reported to avoid an estimated 45 kg of CO2 emissions compared to replacement – a figure that can significantly contribute to emissions reduction goals.
To know more
United Repair Centre was founded by Thami Schweichler and operates hubs in Amsterdam, the UK and, as of March 2026, Paris. The organization works with brand partners including Patagonia, adidas and now Salomon, providing repair services alongside employment programs for refugees and people facing barriers to the labor market.
