Decathlon & United Repair Centre

Scaling Repair: How Circular Services Drive Customer Loyalty

📍 10 September | 14:15 – 14:35

Decathlon Netherlands and United Repair Centre (URC) are joining forces on stage to share how circular repair services can transform both business and customer experience. Together, the two organizations are demonstrating how accessible, scalable textile repair can reduce waste, extend product lifecycles, and build stronger customer loyalty.

The session will address the growing challenge of textile waste and showcase how repair services — from sports equipment to apparel — are becoming an integral part of retail. Decathlon brings decades of experience in repairing sports products and an expanding focus on textiles, while URC contributes expertise in inclusive, high-quality garment repair that creates both environmental and social value.

Drawing on joint initiatives, including a pilot with Visa and the Ellen MacArthur Foundation, the speakers will highlight how partnerships can shift consumer behavior and establish repair as the new norm. Attendees can expect practical insights, fresh data, and an honest perspective on what it takes to make circular strategies work at scale.

Speakers
Paul Kerssens, Co-Founder, United Repair Centre
Nico Werkman, Repair Leader, Decathlon Netherlands

What will you learn?

• Why repair increases customer loyalty and Net Promoter Score (NPS)
• How to change consumer behaviour through incentives and social norms
• Insights from Decathlon’s repair services and URC’s social impact initiatives
• Practical takeaways for integrating repair into a circular business model