[Interview] Dille & Kamille nudges through lending service: “Do you really need everything you see in a store?”

Dille & Kamille is launching a lending service for members. CEO Hans Geels does not view the initiative as an additional revenue stream, but rather as a deliberate countermeasure against the throwaway culture in retail. At the same time, the chain continues to grow, with seven new stores this year and further expansion plans in Belgium, Germany, and France. 

No discount, but inspiration 

Dille & Kamille sells new products. CEO Hans Geels doesn’t beat around the bush about that. Yet, at the launch of the new rental service, he poses a question that seems to run counter to traditional retail: “Do you really need everything you see in a store?” With that question, the chain is launching a pilot program in which members (of the loyalty program) can borrow certain themed products instead of buying them. “We thought it would be a good idea to offer our members an extra service,” says Geels.