Why does Elkjøp work with sustainability?

The most important question is therefore: How should Elkjøp increase our contribution? It goes without saying that we need to cut CO2 emissions from our own facilities and transport. But it is the goods we sell that account for the largest impact on the climate and the environment. This means that the way we organise our business in the future will have the greatest effect. We will always be the store with the newest products and the best prices. But we increasingly need to be the store that solves problems rather than just selling the highest number of new gadgets.

We need to promote products that have the lowest energy usage and the lowest impact on the environment. Helping our customers get the most out of what they have bought is even more important; updating, upgrading and repairing – right up until the products have to be recycled. Some customers want flexibility and prefer having access to the latest products not owning them. Others want to enjoy pre-owned items at a more reasonable price. That is something we have to be able to offer.

Our entire industry is changing. Not just due to digital transformation. But because we are simply running out of the materials required for manufacturing new products. Electronic waste is one of our biggest environmental challenges. The mountain of products that are outdated, out of service or broken is growing. Products that have hardly been used go straight to recycling – in the worst-case scenario they are just discarded. For the planet, this means lost resources. For us, it means lost business opportunities.

We have built up the largest electronics repair service in the Nordics. We have the best customer advisors in the market and have worked systematically on environmental issues for several years. We have a unique starting point for leading our industry away from a throwaway mentality to a circular economy which gets more use out of each product. We know that this pays off in the long run because we do not live on one-off sales, but on returning customers.

We know where we need to go, but do not have all the answers as to how to get there. Our Green Deal is a call to all our suppliers, customers and partners to help us travel further along this road. It is also a challenge for all our 11,000 employees. Whether you are a customer, an employee or a supplier, we hope that you will join us.