We’re proud to announce our first “residency” in a retailer – and not just any retailer – in Selfridges, an iconic London department store. The theme of their month of events is called “Work It” (not Work IT, although that might be appropriate for us!), and we are part of series of events and workshops hosted by Makerversity, the makerspace we work from.
It might be a good time to contemplate future repair economies and what we call the “inner circle of the circular economy“. Will repair be based solely on brick-and-mortar businesses? Will some repair be undertaken by talented amateurs, brokered online? Will repair increasingly take place in public or retail spaces, given the explosion in making and the maker culture?
For six weeks, starting with this Friday, May Day – we’ll be hosting a public, free repair clinic every Friday from 2:30-6:30pm in the Ultra Lounge in Selfridges’ Lower Ground floor. It’s a drop in event, where you can sign up for a personal slot to troubleshoot one malfunctioning product with a Restarter repair coach. (We cannot guarantee we can complete a repair, but we guarantee you will learn something – and likely get a diagnosis for your device – and have fun.)
For these events, we are partnering with our friends at Lovefone, who will be in charge of smartphone repairs, only charging for spare parts.
You can bring anything with a battery or that plugs in, with some of the usual exceptions like microwaves. If in doubt, please get in touch in advance.
Events like this help us reach new audiences, and help us sustain our community events here in London. If you would like to host us in your retail business, or in your company – there is more information here.