Ortlieb Has a Novel Idea This Holiday Season: Don’t Buy New Stuff
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German bike bag manufacturer Ortlieb is doing something a little different for this year’s Black Friday, and the holiday shopping season in general. Instead of promoting big sales and deals to entice customers to buy more, they’re encouraging the opposite.
The brand introduced their “Repair Weeks” last year, and the program is continuing for 2023—and it is happening now. From November 13th to December 3rd, 2023, Ortlieb will be offering repair services at 40 percent off the usual cost of repairs for all products out of their 5-year warranty period. The idea is, fix what you have instead of buying something new.
“At the heart of Ortlieb’s ethos is a dedication to product longevity and repairability. Since its inception in 1982, the company has prioritized designing products with easily replaceable parts, ensuring that each bag and backpack boasts an extended service life," the company states.
A more sustainable Black Friday
The brand sees their Repair Weeks as a response to the escalating culture of rapid consumerism often associated with Black Friday. They want to take a significant step toward true sustainable consumer practices.
In a press release Ortlieb CEO Martin Esslinger said, “At our factory in Heilsbronn, where the goods are produced, we repair some 18,000 products every year. Sustainability has always been part of the Ortlieb DNA and at the same time represents our commitment to our customers, as our approach to the mindful handling of resources is ensuring that our products last as long as possible.”
The brand makes everything from commuter panniers to bikepacking bags for the most epic trips. Basically, if you want to pack it on a bike, Ortlieb has a bag for that.
Beyond Repair Weeks, Ortlieb has several other sustainability goals. They’re aiming to increase the proportion of regenerative energy that they produce from two thirds – today’s level – to 100 percent on the balance sheet by the end of 2025. They also aim to provide transparent communication of the CO2e footprint from 2023 and the life-cycle analysis from 2025 for all products, and to reduce both of them to zero where possible by the end of 2030.
So while we’re all used to showing our love through tangible gifts, maybe moving forward we can give the gift of repairing instead.
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