Description
Envie is a French network of work-integration companies that collect used household appliances, repair them and sell them again with a two-year warranty valid in all its shops. The first opened in Strasbourg in 1984, started by social workers and the local Emmaüs community; from 1989 Darty gave the network the machines it took back from customers.
Today 51 companies run 54 appliance shops and 18 shops for refurbished medical equipment (Envie Autonomie, since 2015). They employ 3,841 people, 2,533 of them on integration contracts, and 68 % of these find a job or training at the end each year. Working with the eco-organisation Ecosystem since 2006, the network collects 133,000 tonnes of electrical waste, nearly a third of the French market, and 178,288 refurbished appliances have been put back on sale.
Washing machines, fridges, cookers and smaller appliances cost 30 to 60 % less than equivalent new ones, according to Envie and the city of Paris. Some shops also repair appliances, at home in Lyon, with the state repair bonus deducted from the bill, and sell second-hand spare parts. Delivery is charged locally: in Lyon, €39 with installation within 30 km, free from €300.
Strengths
- A two-year warranty on every refurbished appliance, valid across the whole network.
- 30 to 60 % cheaper than new.
- Each purchase supports jobs for people far from employment, and 68 % of them find work or training afterwards.
Weaknesses
- The national site shows no prices, so each shop has to be contacted.
- The choice depends on what has been collected and repaired.
- Delivery costs extra below a certain amount (€39 in Lyon under €300).
Who it is for
People who need to replace a large appliance, such as a washing machine or a fridge, and want a warranty without paying for new.