Clothes and shoes “repair bonuses” saved the French 2.3 million euros

A “repair bonus” for clothes and shoes will enable the French to save 2.3 million euros after six months of existence.

Launched last November, the “repair bonus” for clothes and shoes will enable the French to save 2.3 million euros after six months of existence, the head of the fund announced on Monday 25 March.

With a “tenfold increase in repairs since December” among certified repairers, “it’s a very good start”, rejoiced Elsa Chassagnet of Refashion, which manages the repair fund and is charged by the government to support the industry towards more circularity. economy

According to Elsa Chassagnet, 1,050 stores – including 40% shoe repair and 60% alteration – allow customers to take advantage of this bonus. Even if there are “large regional disparities” in this geographic coverage, “one in two households takes less than ten minutes by car to a certified repairer,” the manager recognizes.

250,000 repairs for an average bonus of 8 euros

About 250,000 repairs were carried out as part of this system, including 84% shoe repair and 16% retouching, she further clarified. The average bonus is 8 euros, which “seems very little when you know that bonuses range from 6 to 25 euros but the most requested repairs are minor repairs”, such as replacing heel tips for shoes or tears on clothing.

Are these bonuses used by users already convinced by repairs or do they help attract new customers? “Anecdotal evidence from customers as well as certified repairers (…) indicates that (the bonus) causes more repairs,” replies Elsa Chassagnet.

Bonuses financed by fashion companies

As for household appliances, the textile “repair bonus” (with the exception of household linen and lingerie) allows consumers to benefit from discounts during repairs with approved professionals, the list of which is available at bonusreparation.fr.

A discount is then automatically applied to the cost of the repair – for example, 7 euros for a hole, rip or tear in clothing, or 25 euros for resoled leather shoes.

As part of the REP (Extended Producer Responsibility) sector, on the “polluter pays” principle, each fashion brand pays an eco-contribution to recycling, which should make it possible to release one billion euros during the period 2023-2028. which is allotted to the reparation fund.

In 2019, according to Ademe, 16 million pieces (of clothing and shoes) were repaired. Refashion hopes that this number will increase to 21.6 million by 2028 thanks to this system.

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