Visa enlists H&M Group brand COS and United Repair Centre for Recommerce Behavioural Insights Lab

Visa has announced the first partners for its Recommerce Behavioural Insights Lab, which aims to understand and share how businesses can help consumers actively engage in the transition to a more circular economy.

The first two initiatives will be run in partnership with H&M Group brand COS and the United Repair Centre, and will take place in various places across Europe. Initial countries where early experiments are likely to take place include France, the Netherlands and Germany, as well as the UK.

COS will explore the motivations and compelling experiences that increase consumer participation in the resale market.

The initiative with the United Repair Centre will leverage its experience offering repair services to European apparel brands. It will explore the barriers that stop consumers from repairing their garments, and how to make clothing repair services more accessible and beneficial for all.

Both will test the different experiences and motivations with customers in a variety of environments, including online and in-store, to provide a better understanding of the precise triggers of changing consumer behaviours, experimenting with factors such as improving visibility, access, community, reward, ease, or affordability.

They will be open sourced, with key findings available through downloadable playbooks so that other businesses can use this knowledge to help develop their own circular models and be part of the wider Recommerce community.

Katherine Brown, Vice President Sustainability and Inclusive Impact, Visa Europe, says: “Over half of Europeans are already regularly engaging in recommerce activities like resale.”

“By uncovering what actually gets shoppers to change their behaviour and by leveraging our data and insights from these experiments with United Repair Centre and COS, we can identify new ways to make sustainable fashion a must-have purchase and accelerate the transition to the circular economy for all.”

Thami Schewichler, CEO, United Repair Centre, says: "Every brand is looking at how they can be sustainable, and consumers are also looking for sustainable alternatives.”

“Repair is a great way to show consumers the value of clothing again, and as it becomes the new cool in fashion, it also gives them the chance to create real impact.”

Mindworks, a behavioural design expert, Twig, a circular economy FinTech, and the Ellen MacArthur Foundation will be joining the Lab as foundational partners.

Brad Herholdt, CEO, MindWorks Consulting, says: “We’re thrilled to be announced as one of Visa’s foundational partners for their Behavioural Insights Lab.”

“At MindWorks we believe in the power of transformation for good which is why we can’t wait to help shape a better future for our planet and its people by designing innovative behavioural interventions to help consumers make more sustainable choices.”

“We’re proud to partner with like-minded organisations and are especially excited about the open source nature of Visa’s labs approach, encouraging collaboration and knowledge sharing for the whole community.”