Away Sold 80% of Its Refurbished Luggage in Two Weeks

Away sold 80% of its initial refurbished-luggage inventory within two weeks of a soft launch that had no marketing budget behind it. The luggage brand opened Away Reclaimed in August, a dedicated site selling returned and unsold products at steep discounts — an aluminum carry-on that retails for $625 is listed at $436, and a $345 medium suitcase in navy goes for $293.

The catch is visible in the fine print: some bags carry scuffs or dents. Every item is graded on a three-point scale, from "excellent," meaning essentially new, to "good," meaning noticeable wear.

Where does the inventory come from?

Reclaimed's stock comes from two sources: customer returns, which Away accepts within 100 days of purchase, and the last units of limited-edition colors or collaborations that never sold at full price. The site also carries backpacks, totes, and duffles. Later this month, Away plans to add an "Employee Archive" featuring luggage staffers have gently tested, along with one-of-a-kind production samples.

The platform does two things for the company at once. It stops usable inventory from going to waste, and it creates a revenue stream from merchandise that previously had no obvious destination.

Away CEO Jessica Schinazi frames Reclaimed as a customer-acquisition tool. It could introduce the brand to shoppers looking for slightly more affordable products, she says, perhaps turning them into loyal customers down the road. That promise depends on whether discount buyers actually convert to full-price buyers — something Away cannot yet demonstrate at scale.

How big is the returns problem?

U.S. retailers expected 15.8% of annual sales to be returned in 2025 — $849.9 billion worth of merchandise — according to a study by the National Retail Federation and the return platform Happy Returns. Brands generally treat wasted returns as a cost of doing business.

What happens to those goods varies:

• Some are liquidated to off-price retailers like T.J. Maxx
• Others are donated
• A lot ends up in landfills — 9.6 billion pounds annually, according to the reverse logistics company Optoro

Consumer attitudes, meanwhile, have shifted. 59% of consumers shopped secondhand apparel in 2025, up 7% over three years, according to ThredUp's most recent report. Schinazi says Away's own customers have been asking for a resale option for years. Returns, in short, are among retail's biggest sources of waste, and one brand's fix is now a live experiment.

What does the refurbishment process involve?

Resale is operationally complicated. It takes a reverse logistics system to collect old products, inspect them, and list them online — which is why Away started with its own returned and unsold inventory rather than customer-owned bags. The company partnered with Trove, which powers resale programs for Carhartt, Cotopaxi, and Eileen Fisher.

Away opened a dedicated reverse logistics warehouse where every product is inspected, cleaned, refurbished, and graded. The company replaces wheels, trolley handles, linings, or anything else that affects a suitcase's functionality.

"If the item is not performing the way that it should be, we will not sell it through Reclaimed at all," Schinazi said. "If there's a sticky zipper, we will never sell a product like that."

So far, the signals are positive. Away says return rates on Reclaimed purchases have been low, and some customers have already bought a second piece. "It's an interesting testament to how important those kind of programs are for the American consumer today," Schinazi said, citing both sustainability interest and shoppers watching their wallets. Self-reported early metrics from a two-week window, however, are not proof of a durable business.

What is holding Reclaimed back?

Supply is the constraint. Because inventory largely comes from returns, Away cannot control how many pieces come in.

"We're learning as we go in these early months," Schinazi said. The company is exploring a buyback program that would take back suitcases customers have owned for years.

Before that, Away is running a test through its "Trade In, Trade Up" event this month. Customers can bring a wheeled suitcase from any brand, in any condition, to a participating Away store on October 16–18 and October 23–25, by appointment, and receive $100 toward a new suitcase from the redesigned Series 3 line. Away will use the event to learn how trade-in programs might eventually feed Reclaimed.

Selling discounted versions of its own products could, in theory, cannibalize full-price sales. Schinazi is not worried. She believes Reclaimed will serve as an entry point, especially for younger shoppers unwilling to pay full price for a carry-on.

"We know that Away Reclaimed might be their first purchase," she said. "But we're going to be able to have them experience our bags." As those customers travel more, she hopes they will buy new pieces for themselves, their family, or as gifts. The open question — which no discount platform has fully answered — is whether bargain hunters ever trade up.