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Decathlon is continuing down the circular path: after a rental and second-hand service, the retailer now also offers Belgian consumers to have their clothes, backpacks and bags repaired.
Broken zips or missing buttons
As of today, consumers in Belgium can have minor repairs, such as broken zips, torn seams, loose buckles or missing buttons, carried out by the French sports retailer. It is also possible to have trousers shortened, for example.
The repair service aims to perform 4,000 repairs in the first year (roughly 80 per week). This is not a free service, howeverfor each item, the service charges a certain price. The repairs are carried out by the Mechelen-based start-up CiLAB, a circular textile laboratory specialising in the repair and upcycling of clothing and accessories.
People throw away too much
The technicians repair textile products of all brands, including those not bought at Decathlon. “Even jackets or pyjamas that you bought elsewhere can now be repaired here. And anyone who wants to have something repaired that is not on our ‘menu’ can always contact us to ask if we can fix it”, spokesperson Bohdan Lamon says.
The retailer does not (yet) repair shoes, however, as they are often more complex to assemble. By contrast, its competitor A.S. Adventure has just launched a repair service for hiking boots. There as well, the shoes do not have to be purchased from the chain and repairs are carried out by a specialist workshop at fixed prices.
With this repair service, Decathlon wants to encourage consumers to stop throwing away textile. Lamon: “There are fewer and fewer sewing and repair shops in our country. When T-shirts, trousers or jacket have minor defects, many Belgians throw the item in the bin and buy something new. With our new repair service, we are tackling this consumption pattern.” Instead, the sports chain wants to give items a second, third or fourth life. The chain has also previously launched second-hand, a rental service and bicycle maintenance workshops.
