The company behind WinRAR, the well-known file compression software, is selling its own merchandise together with a design label from France. And so successfully that this merchandise has already been reissued multiple times.
What exactly does WinRAR offer? The company is known for its data compression software, which many users utilize for free. Now the company is once again offering its official merchandise after the first collection sold out shortly after the drop in September 2024 (via X).
This includes a bag featuring the iconic WinRAR logo design and a jacket with matching patches. The bag costs about 155 euros, while the jacket is around 225 euros. Additionally, there is a hoodie with the corresponding logo, T-shirts, a cap, and jeans.
Why is WinRAR selling merchandise now? The fact that WinRAR is suddenly trying its hand at the fashion business is no coincidence. The company is aware that most private users have never really paid for the software. But instead of being annoyed about it, WinRAR takes it with humor.
With the self-ironic message: “What could be better than supporting the software you NEVER paid for by buying a WinRAR bag?”, the company aims to target exactly these users – while simultaneously opening up a new source of revenue.
Because WinRAR hardly makes significant revenue from the software itself. In fact, according to their own statements, the developers were already happy with four paying customers within a week – which shows that the business model has more symbolic success among private individuals.
The production of the merchandise items is done in collaboration with the French design company tern.
The idea is well received
How does the community react to the merch? The announcement of the merchandise line has been shared and commented on thousands of times. In general, the humorous approach has been received positively, especially since the design of the products has a unique style that is quite rare to find otherwise.
Moreover, the demand seems to have been higher than expected: the first batches of the latest sales phase are already sold out. According to the official website, however, there will be a restock, for which one can sign up for email notifications (via tern).
How much does shipping cost? WinRAR or tern ships the items worldwide, and shipping costs vary. For orders to Germany, shipping costs are nearly 10 euros.
WinRAR is widely used – yet hardly anyone actually pays for it, even though the software is officially paid. However, there are also programs that are genuinely free and should actually be on every PC. You can read about which ones here: 8 free programs that you should definitely install on every computer
