Houdini paves the way for collaborative consumption
22/03/2019
In an interview with sportstextiles.com, Ms Karlsson explained that “collaborative consumption” is a good solution for consumers as it gives them access to a wide range of products when they need them, without them hanging in the closet for the rest of the year.
For the brand, it means they have greater control of what happens to their products at the end of life. She says: “When products are owned by individuals, we have to count on them to bring the product back to us for recycling. Not everyone will do that, so there are great opportunities for products as a service solution.”
Houdini has operated a rental service since 2012. This has allowed its customers to fulfil their clothing and equipment needs without having to invest in them permanently. The example that Ms Karlsson gives is of an outdoor enthusiast who one week needs heavy-duty gear but the next needs lightweight products to go ski touring.
The subscription service is a natural extension of this programme. Ms Karlsson describes it as a “seamless transition”. Subscribers will pay a fee and then have access to a wide range of Houdini products as and when they need them. A pilot is currently taking place in Sweden as the brand attempts to iron out the finer details. It will then launch a digital platform to make it available to a larger group of consumers.
Image shows Ms Karlsson satisfying her passion for outdoor sports (credit: Carl Lundberg).
The full interview with Eva Karlsson will be included in the May/June issue of WSA magazine.
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