Founded in 2003, iFixit combines an ecommerce platform selling repair tools and spare parts with a 'how to fix' resource for consumers that want to repair their own tech. With a growing Right to Repair movement across Europe and greater awareness of refurbished tech and the impact of e-waste, iFixit is well placed to connect consumers, channel partners and brands with the know-how and tools to extend the lifecylce of every day products. We caught up with Rodriguez Stohrer, Sales Director Europe for iFixit to find out more about their platform as well as their channel plans for the year ahead.
Tell us about iFixit
iFixit is a free, publicly editable online repair manual with a mission to empower people to fix their stuff and save money while keeping electronics out of landfills.
Most people want to fix what’s broken; they just lack the resources to do so. iFixit’s specialized tools, high quality spare parts and free, step-by-step repair manuals minimize the barrier to repair — even for beginners.
E-waste is one of the fastest-growing components in the global waste stream. Americans alone throw away over 300 million electronics every year. iFixit writes and hosts repair manuals for everything from computers to cars, so people around the world have the instructions they need to fix what they own, instead of throwing things away.
Our community has over 3 million registered users that help us create the biggest repair plattform on the internet.
iFixit’s business model is to produce and sell specialized tools and to trade spare parts. iFixit Europe is based in Stuttgart, the Swabian metropolis of tinkerers and inventors, we're currently shipping our tools, parts and repair kits to 30 European countries. We are also involved with European projects to advocate for repair and product lifetime expansion, cooperate with the Repair Café movement and are in constant touch with the European Maker scene.
Which brands are you working with?
On the tool side, we mostly sell our own brand iFixit Tools. Other than tools, we work with brands such as Google, Samsung and Motorola. You can see the full list of partners here
The smartphone is an important product for iFixit but do you cover any other product categories?
Our iFixit tools are designed to repair any kind of electronic device and our parts are focussed on consumer electronics devices including:
* Smartphones * Laptops * Tablets * Wearables * Gaming Consoles * Speaker and iPods
* Teenage Engineering * GoPro * Vaude
You can find the full list here
Our repair guides cover even more than that:
* Laptops * Desktops PCs * Tablets * Cameras * Gaming Consoles * Home Appliances
* Medical Devices * Cars * Bikes * Apparel * Furniture * Household Items * Sports Equipment
* Instruments
Take a look at the full list here
How has the repair movement developed over the last 12 months?
We are pleased to see a growing awareness of the importance of the right to repair among the general public, manufacturers, the EU institutions and national governments. The first right-to-repair legislation already in place at the European level is the Ecodesign Regulations, which applies to a handful of product categories in the first step and which require, among other things, the availability of information and spare parts to professional repairers. This is where we help manufacturers to make this happen.
We expect more comprehensive and ambitious legislation in the near future. In the current proposals of the EU Commission, which are only at the beginning of a legislative process, many aspects are only partially taken into account and it would therefore be necessary to "step it up a notch" - just as with the speed. We need less but better products!
In 2021 the repair movement has seen a huge impact in the world of electronics. We are continuously working on making the planet a better place. Repair, and even self-repair, is now part of the coalition contract of the German government and is part of the EU Green Deal initiatives.
Do you partner with other organizations or associations?
iFixit Europe is a founding member of the Right to Repair Coalition (repair.eu) in Europe and member of national organizations in Germany (runder-tisch-reparatur.de), France (HOP) and Belgium among others. Together with our partners and our community we advocate for repair and push politics, industry and citizens towards longer product lifespans, design for sustainability, a circular economy and responsible consumption.
What are you hoping to achieve at Channel Summit EMEA?
We are looking to find new distribution and retail partners for our iFixit tools section to reach more people in new countries and new partners and they will join us on the journey for repair and more sustainability
Which regions are you prioritising in the next 12 months?
in Europe, priority countries include France, Spain, Italy and Poland. We're also keen to find partners in the Middle East, specifically Kuwait, UAE, Qatar and Bahrain.
Do you have a structured channel programme? Please explain how you work with your channel partners
We have a healthy mix of a direct and indirect sales structure in Europe. We are working with our customers very closely together to achieve the maximum for both. We are developing with our Partners POS/Marketing strategies, what will be the best for the country/customer.
Any interesting partnerships, sponsorships, initiatives or collaborations to share?
We joined and support the Right to Repair Coalition (repair.eu) to keep your stuff longer and to reinforce that repair is a radical act! We can help mitigating climate change and stop the eWaste flood. We change the world, when it comes to the right of repair, and we are collaborating with Repair Café in Europe and Reparatur Initiativen in Germany. We also won the “Deutscher Nachhaltigkeitspreis 2021” award and the “European Green Award 2021”
iFixit is exhibiting at Channel Summit EMEA 2022