What is the Right to Repair?
The right to repair is legislation in the UK that obliges manufacturers to create products that last longer and provide spare parts and documentation for those products.
The Right to Repair is a global movement that started as far back as 2012 and it aims to make sure everyone has the right to fix the products they own.
It also aims to change regulations on how products are initially manufactured, make them easy and affordable to repair, make them last longer, and expand consumer rights after purchase.
The Right to Repair legislation puts manufacturers under a legal obligation to make spare parts and maintenance information that consumers and technicians can use to be able to repair their products.
What companies are affected by the Right to Repair law?
The Right-to-Repair legislation applies to industries whose products can be repaired, they include (but not limited to) electronics, electrical devices, white goods and appliances.
Some of the most common products are listed below:
- Refrigerators
- Washing machines
- Dishwashers
- Electronic displays such as monitors and TVs
- Light sources and separate control gears
- External power suppliers
- Electric motors
- Refrigerators with a direct sales function (e.g. fridges in supermarkets, vending machines for cold drinks)
- Power transformers
- Welding equipment
Note that some of the aforementioned products have already had regulations set in place, but they have been revised along with the addition of new ones.
Right to Repair and eCommerce
Without a doubt, eCommerce is the gateway to success for manufacturers and other companies who wish to sell appliances and spare parts.
An eCommerce solution offers many key benefits to manufacturers and other businesses that mainly sell appliances and spare parts.
- An eCommerce solution will make you comply with the Right to Repair legislation and any legal requirements associated with it.
- It will help you get ahead of any competition that doesn’t have an eCommerce solution in place.
- It will help improve your brand’s reputation, act as proof that you are fully supporting the movement, and that you are on your customers’ side.
- It will help you sell online, reach new customers, service new and existing markets, and ultimately, increase your company’s sales.
- It will help you prove a better customer experience and service with self-service facilities, 24/7 online ordering, and always up-to-date product information.
- It will reduce manual order input errors, as well as admin, IT, and support costs.
Conclusion
Whether we like it or not, the Right to Repair legislation is here to stay and will be either the downfall for many manufacturers or an opportunity to increase sales, improve brand awareness, and overall provide a better service to consumers.
What manufacturers will make of this is dependent on them. But manufacturers now have a huge opportunity to turn this “new source of pain” into their next biggest opportunity.
An eCommerce solution can be the key to achieving greater heights and boosting your company’s sales and profitability while complying with your new legal requirements.
If you want to find more about how Aphix’s WebShop can help your manufacturing business to facilitate the Right to Repair, then request a demo, send an email to sales@aphixsoftware.com, or simply call us on +44 1908 464220, and a member of our team will be happy to provide you with more information.