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The pre-Christmas season is coming soon, and with it comes the flood of packages. If the new headphones do not fit your size as a gift, you can send them back. So what will the returns be?
Greenpeace estimates that electronics and appliance companies dispose of 300 tonnes of unsellable products every year, according to a new study. The organization surveyed a total of eight retailers from both the electronics and clothing sectors: H&M, Zalando, Inditex (this includes Zara), Digitec Galaxus, Interdiscount, Fust, Completec (this includes Brack) and Apple. “All retailers destroy new products. “This is unacceptable,” a Greenpeace spokesman said, summarizing the investigation.
Greenpeace targets Digitec Galaxus
The organization focuses specifically on Digitec Galaxus, a major player in the Swiss market with sales of 2.4 billion francs. Greenpeace is launching a campaign against the Migros subsidiary on social media: It is stated that Digitec Galaxus, as Switzerland’s largest online retailer, sold 6.3 million products. Greenpeace criticizes that half of the products sold through Digitec Galaxus come from third-party suppliers. Digitec Galaxus is also shifting its return responsibility.
As part of the campaign, Greenpeace supporters can send a pre-written email to Digitec Galaxus boss Florian Teuteberg (45). “Approximately 4,500 emails have now been sent,” the Greenpeace spokesperson continued.
So how many of the Digitec Galaxus returns actually go to waste? Greenpeace talks about 10 percent in the campaign. In response to Blick’s question, media spokesperson Alex Hämmerli said, Migros’ subsidiary responded: “Greenpeace misinterpreted our information.” The return rate is less than 2 percent. Only 5 percent of returned goods are recycled; It is not 10 percent as Greenpeace claims.
On Digitec Galaxus, 70 percent of returns are still in their original packaging and can therefore be sold as new. The packaging was opened in 30 percent of cases. These goods are checked one by one. According to Digitec Galaxus, two-thirds of them are resold as used products.
Half of the rest is donated and half is recycled. This means the online retailer gets the aforementioned 5 percent of all returns, not the 10 percent as Greenpeace claims. “Disposal or recycling is always the last option for us if the products are not authorized or permitted for sale,” Digitec Galaxus assures.
Apple failed to respond
Greenpeace also criticizes Digitec Galaxus for providing less precise information than other participants in the survey. “Other retailers other than Apple answered our questions more transparently,” a Greenpeace spokesperson told Blick.
At Interdiscount, 3 percent of returns are recycled, at Fust, 1.5 percent and at Compec Group, 0.4 percent. The situation is similar in the textile industry. According to the companies’ own declaration, the rate of unsold goods in Zalando is 3 percent, and in Inditex and H&M it is 0.3 percent.
Source :Blick
I’m Tim David and I work as an author for 24 Instant News, covering the Market section. With a Bachelor’s Degree in Journalism, my mission is to provide accurate, timely and insightful news coverage that helps our readers stay informed about the latest trends in the market. My writing style is focused on making complex economic topics easy to understand for everyone.
