Inspire a more sustainable way to retail

Product lifecycle

To give you inspiration and background information you can find a knowledge base about relevant steps of a product lifecycle. Note that the following content is meant to serve you as inspiration but should not exclude any other ideas and steps of the product lifecycle.

1. Material: What material is being used? Where is it extracted? Which methods are being used for its production for further usage? Is the material recyclable? What impact has this process on its environment? …
2. Transport: How many “stations” does the lifecycle pass through? How long is its overall “journey”? How is it being transported? All these factors are important to calculate the overall CO2-footprint. …
3. Assembly: Where and how are the materials assembled to the final product? How are the working conditions for the people producing the products? How much energy is being used for this purpose? Does it have an impact on its environment? …
4. Use: Where, how and when is a product being used? How does it effect the users and their environment? How long can it be used? …
5. Maintenance: Is it easily to maintain? Or does it have to be disposed by the time a piece of it is broken? How expensive is the process of maintaining the product – money, time and environmental wise? …
6. End of Life/New Life: How does the disposal process of the product look like? Can it be recycled and restart a new lifecycle? Or do we have to dispose it in a landfill? If yes, how long does it have to be in one of those? Does it emit substances that are negative for its environment? Could this have been avoided by thinking about its disposal process during its design already? …

Example product categories

Here are the example product categories from QVC for the first round of this challenge.

Example Shoes

Vitaform: The material sourcing is mainly done in IT (opaque, done by vendor). The design & sampling process takes place in Czech Republic. These designs are evaluated by buying teams. If approved, the shoes will be produced in Czech Republic and then shipped to a German warehouse. Afterwards the shoes enter the customer purchase phase, including a possible return – if returned, the shoes will either be sold as before again, sold in an outlet or, in the worst case, be destroyed. Then the customer will wear the shoes. Everything after this is opaque: VFS offers new outsoles and some repair works on shoes, but only used by few customers. A little view of resale or the like might take place.

Example Beauty

Overall little transparency regarding supply chain of brands before goods arrive at QVC warehouse. QVC does know where products are manufactured respectively filled (e.g. Germany), but usually have no detailed insight into where raw materials or packaging is being sourced. Shipment to German warehouse; customer purchase; product is being consumed by customer. After the product is used up, packaging components can potentially be put into recycling (e.g. carton, plastic jars or tubes > Grüner Punkt), yet we do not know how many customers actually do this.

In case of return, just 20-30% can be sold again (e.g. Skincare, Haircare). Most customer returns have been already opened or used and can therefore not be used or reworked again. In this case it will either be directly destroyed or send back to supplier, where it is very likely that most of the returns will also be destroyed by supplier – hence the question if it makes sense to send back those back in the supplier in the first place.

Example Accessories

Picard bags: Georg Picards material and design sourcing is done all over the world. The company is always sourcing for sustainable materials. Their design & sampling process takes place in Germany. After evaluation by buying teams is done, the bags will be produced in Germany, India and Ukraine. Then it will be shipped to a German warehouse and purchased by costumers – if returned, the bags will either be sold as before again ir sold in an outlet, happening to 50% of Year volume. Then the customer will wear the bag.

Example Home Textiles

First a selection process of possible designs for home textiles is done and new items are being developed. Then the production of first strikes off / samples is started in India, China or Pakistan. Either an office in Germany will receive the actual strike offs or a photo of it by mail. If approved by the QVC buying team, the goods will be shipped to warehouse in Germany. Then the goods will be sold to and used by the customer – if returned (approx. 16%), it will be reworked & resold to customers.

Examples Fashion

Dine n´Dance: The material sourcing is mainly done in Greece & Asia, the development by vendors & designers. Followed by the design & sampling process in Greece is an evaluation during a collection meeting with the designer and the buying team from QVC. The production takes place in Greece & Asia, from where the products are shipped to a German warehouse. Afterwards the products enter the customer purchase phase, including a possible return – if returned, the products will either be sold as before again, sold in an outlet or, in the worst case, be destroyed. Otherwise, the customer will wear the product.

Strandfein: The material sourcing is mainly done in Asia& Turkey, the development by buying teams & designers. Followed by the design & sampling process in Asia & Turkey is an evaluation during a collection meeting with the designer and the buying team from QVC. The production takes place in Asia & Turkey, from where the products are shipped to a German warehouse. Afterwards the products enter the customer purchase phase, including a possible return – if returned, the products will either be sold as before again, sold in an outlet or, in the worst case, be destroyed. Otherwise, the customer will wear the product.  

In-Print: The standard material is made in Asia & Europe (Slovenia, Lithuania), developed by vendors and the print selection is done by buying teams. Followed by the design & sampling process in Asia & Europe is an evaluation during a collection meeting with the vendor and the buying team from QVC. Afterwards the production takes place in Asia& Europe, from where the products are shipped to a German warehouse. Afterwards the products enter the customer purchase phase, including a possible return – if returned, the products will either be sold as before again, sold in an outlet or, in the worst case, be destroyed. Otherwise, the customer will wear the product.

Little Rose: The material sourcing is mainly done in Asia& Turkey, the development by buying teams & vendors. Followed by the design & sampling process in Asia & Turkey is an evaluation during a collection meeting with the vendor and the buying team from QVC. Afterwards the production takes place in Asia & Turkey, from where the products are shipped to a German warehouse.  Afterwards the products enter the customer purchase phase, including a possible return – if returned, the products will either be sold as before again, sold in an outlet or, in the worst case, be destroyed. Otherwise, the customer will wear the product.

Kim&Co: The material sourcing is done in Asia, the development by the vendor, being the designer as well. Followed by the design & sampling process in Canada is an evaluation during a collection meeting with the designer and the buying team from QVC. Afterwards the production takes place in Canada, from the products are shipped to a German warehouse. Afterwards the products enter the customer purchase phase, including a possible return – if returned, the products will either be sold as before again, sold in an outlet or, in the worst case, be destroyed. Otherwise, the customer will wear the product.