According to Refashion, the eco-organization which manages the system, 83% of repairs were carried out by shoemakers and 17% by retouchers.
Repair rather than throw away. Like the one for household appliancesthe textile and footwear “repair bonus” launched on November 7, 2024 allows consumers to benefit from discounts of 6 to 25 euros during repairs with approved professionals.
One year after its launch, Refashion, the eco-organization which pilots the operation, is pleased with its first positive results with 826,000 repairs recorded. Enough to save the French 6.8 million euros.
“This result clearly illustrates the growing interest of consumers in this device,” we can read in a press release. “This result exceeds our expectations. We are seeing a real mobilization of repairers and consumers around this system.”
In detail, small repairs are the most numerous: heel tips for shoes, holes for textiles for an average of 8 euros bonus. Shoes account for the majority of repairs (83%) compared to 17% for textiles (household linen and lingerie are excluded).
A 20 to 30% increase in income for certified repairers
“This significant volume dedicated to shoe repair is mainly explained by two reasons: on the one hand, consumers do not mostly have the necessary skills to repair their shoes themselves unlike clothes. On the other hand, shoe repair, generally more digitalized than retouching workshops, can handle a larger volume of requests,” explains Refashion.
It is in Ile-de-France that the repairs were the most numerous (150,000) ahead of Occitanie (75,000), Hauts-de-France (65,000) and the Grand Est (64,000).
Now, 1,530 repairers (30% of which are brands) are certified and listed on the www.bonusreparation.fr platform compared to just over 1,000 six months ago.
The system seems virtuous since according to Elsa Chassagnette, Repair Fund Manager at Refashion, “many certified repairers have reported to us an increase of 20 to 30% in their turnover, without observing an increase in the prices charged”.
But it comes at a cost. Refashion specifies that it has invested more than 5 million euros since 2023 to support the development of repair in France. Refashion is a private, non-profit company, approved by public authorities, and financed by marketers, brands, distributors and manufacturers, through eco-contributions.
Olivier Chicheportiche Journalist BFM Business
