Dr Martens is set to reveal its first shoe repair service next month as it pushes ahead with its sustainability agenda and looks to create a new revenue stream. The retailer is currently trialling the shoe repair service amongst its employees before launching it across stores in the UK.
Dr Martens will be teaming up with The Boot repair Company in the northern English city of Leeds to offer repairs with prices starting at £81 to replace worn out soles.
Mintel comment:
“A step closer to tackling the major issues of overproduction and overconsumption in the fashion industry, with similar schemes by Levi’s and Uniqlo having proved successful in the recent past. Dr Martens has been gradually moving towards a more sustainable model, with its collaboration with Depop in 2022 to encourage second-hand shopping for its boots. With footwear needing to be durable, this could hinder the popularity of second-hand platforms for shoes, and so having that repair service available could encourage spending while extending the life of the product.
The service includes replacing worn-out soles, requiring the whole boot to be taken apart; while at the more expensive end of the service list, customers are essentially getting a near-new pair of boots for nearly half the price of a new pair. Dr Martens has also cited the scheme will ‘breed customer loyalty’, our Customer Loyalty in Retailing – UK, 2023 report indicates 80% of consumers show interest in earning rewards for sustainable practices, and so Dr Martens could bolster this offering by rewarding customers for using the repair service which will in turn increase loyalty towards the brand.”
