Not long ago, repairs were both necessary and natural. Today, a new product is only a few keystrokes away, while repair has become a hassle. Is a revival possible – and can it be a profitable service?

“Doing good for the environment means using what we already have for as long as possible. To achieve that, we need to make repair an easier choice,” says Sustainability Manager in Bergans Christoph Centmayer.

Bergans is an old Norwegian company with a long tradition for repair. Ever since the beginning in 1908, it has repaired products – either at the factory or the in-house repair service. To reach more customers, Bergans now also offers repair in-store and travels around with a “repair car.”

“Most people want to repair their products. The problem is they do not know where to go, and think repair is inconvenient. We recently launched a new service deal together with Norwegian retailer Sport1, where we hope that presenting repair already at point of sale will make it easier to remember what to do when the zipper breaks,” says Centmayer.

With the EU Green Deal proposing repair as a consumer right, the industry must step up and offer repair. But can it become a profitable business model?

“It is difficult to turn a profit with repair today, with high expenses connected to salaries, facilities, machinery, and spare parts. But we also gain invaluable insights for our product development, and a happy repair customer will become a loyal customer. More importantly, repair is a crucial precondition for other circular services,” says Centmayer.

Bergans also offers a return scheme, second-hand sales, a redesign collection, rental, and a subscription service for kids coveralls. For all these services, in-house repair is at the core.

“We are looking into how to make repair more profitable. There is potential if done right. And we see profit potential in, for example, subscription models, meaning we need to consider the bigger picture,” concludes Centmayer.

Photos: Bergans