Kringwinkel -
Prototyping a new circular business model: offering a repair service and giving your toaster a second life.

1 Months from idea to mvp
1% of the devices can be repaired
Challenge How might Kringwinkel play an even more central role in the circular economy?
Repairing broken appliances is good for the climate. It reduces waste and cuts the C0² emissions needed to make new products and materials.
Kringwinkels assumption: more than 30% of discarded electro can still be repaired but today there is a lack of an accessible place to have your electrics repaired at an affordable price.
Kringwinkel is a non-profit thrift store providing social employment in Flanders, Belgium.

Solution The Electro atelier: offering professional repairs for a wide range of products
In the electronics workshop of Kringwinkel, customers can have all kinds of repairs carried out by one of the experienced repairmen.
From replacing your screen or the battery of your mobile phone to repairing your laptop, coffee machine, hoover, sewing machine, hifi and record player. The customers just have to drop by with their device and Kringwinkel will take care of the repair at a very acceptable cost.

There is so much demand for projects like this one, and the advantage is that we work with remanufactured parts, which reduces costs. The focus on sustainability also distinguishes us from the other repair shops in the city.
Process The Electro atelier: offering professional repairs for a wide range of products
Using Design Thinking, Kringwinkel set out to analyse and validate the Desirability, Feasibility and Viability of the new service. Made facilitated the process towards the launch of an MVP to test the new service.
Desirability:
Thanks to a quick but broad survey via Instagram, we got a good idea of the current recovery habits and the needs in the market. A fast and pragmatic way to get customer validation.
Viability:
The financial picture was mapped out using business and financial modeling. Clear KPIs and targets were set in order to evaluate whether the first pilot would be a success.
Feasibility:
What does the logistics flow look like and how can Kringwinkel set up the processes as efficiently as possible? In addition to a theoretical approach, the team soon set to work organising a real pilot to further develop the processes and the service.


Are you ready to test & launch a circular business model?
From idea to proof of concept of your circular business idea. We co-design the proposition, build the business case and validate it with key consumers.
Ready for a successful launch? Let’s have a chat on how you can participate in the circular economy!