Nine out of ten young people want to repair instead of replacing with new

76% of Swedish consumers want to repair products under warranty instead of replacing them with new ones. Among younger people, the willingness to repair is even greater - 93% of 18–29-year-olds would consider repairing instead of replacing with new. This is according to the Reclaimit State of Repairs survey, conducted by Novus on behalf of Reclaimit. 

In April 2024, the European Parliament adopted a new law to strengthen consumers' right to repair. Retailers therefore need to adapt to the new law, which gives consumers the right to request the repair of certain broken products. Online platforms will assist consumers in finding local repair services and shops selling refurbished goods.  

Many consumers seem to agree with the European Parliament. 76% of consumers would rather repair a product under warranty than replacing with a new one. Among young people, the willingness to repair is clearly higher than among older people. 93% of 18–29-year-olds would consider repairing rather than buying new. The corresponding figure among 65–79-year-olds is only 59%.  

- We see that especially the younger ones, the 18–29-year-olds, stand out,’ says Wilhelm Hamilton, CEO of Reclaimit. They are more likely to repair than buy new to a much greater extent than the oldest.  

18% say they expect to repair more next year. Again, younger people stand out. 34% of 18–29-year-olds plan to repair more, compared to only 13% of 50–64-year-olds. 

- This is a big change for many e-retailers, says Wilhelm Hamilton. The retailer who wants to be relevant and long-term and succeeds in offering the entire repair process to customers can become part of the entire reuse chain, where the same product gets several lives. But this requires smart systems. 

Offering repairs can also attract customers. 38% consider it important for online retailers to offer repairs. So having a good solution for repairs creates customer growth.

At the same time, the survey shows that price reductions on repairs and easier handling are needed to attract more consumers to repair instead of buying new. 54% of consumers say they would repair more if it was cheaper and 39% if it was easier to handle. 

Facts about Reclaimit State of Repairs 2024 

Reclaimit has commissioned Novus to investigate Swedes' behavior and attitudes towards repairs of e-commerce products. 

A total of 1054 interviews were conducted among the general public aged 18-79 during the period 27 December 2023 - 12 January 2024. 1029 of these were e-commerce customers.    

The survey was conducted via online interviews in Novus' randomly recruited Sweden panel, which guarantees representative results. This means that the results are generalisable to the current target population. 

For more information, please contact:  

Wilhelm Hamilton, CEO of Reclaimit, tel: 070-748 63 23 
E-mail: Wilhelm.Hamilton@reclaimit.com  

 About Reclaimit  

Reclaimit is a rapidly growing SaaS company with a market-leading return and warranty management position in the Nordic region. We empower over 600 industry-leading retailers and suppliers with a unique all-in-one post-purchase customer experience platform, elevating the customer journey at scale. By transforming challenges into opportunities, we help retailers maximize profits, increase customer loyalty, and minimize carbon footprint through circular shopping and sustainable returns. We go the extra mile to understand your unique needs, delivering solutions that guarantee success in a competitive market.