This proposal could provide jobs and training for many of the people who have lost their jobs during the pandemic, and would also utilise many of the shop premises which have become vacant due to businesses failing. Moreover, the huge success of the BBC’s The Repair Shop, suggests it would also prove popular with the public, whilst at the same time bringing new life and footfall to Britain’s declining high streets and town centres.
The Problem: What do you do when the small machines and appliances that you use in your home break down? (Think toasters, microwaves, shredders, computer printers.) If you cannot find a local firm who will repair it for you, you may have to post it off to the manufacturer at great expense, or travel many miles to take it to a repair centre, if one is available. The alternative is to throw it out and replace it, even if the problem could be quite simply fixed, given the right expertise and components. This is not only frustrating for the owner, it is not environmentally friendly, adding yet more items to waste tips, and wasting precious components and materials which could usefully be recycled. It also affects the least well-off most: the elderly, those who cannot afford huge repair bills or postage costs, and those who do not have a car.
The Opportunity: One result of Covid is the huge number of people who have lost their jobs, who tend to be those who are younger and less well-qualified. Another result has been the large number of former shop premises now lying empty, particularly in high streets and town centres, after the shops have been forced to close. Now imagine this. In every high street and every town centre throughout the country, there is a place where local people can take their broken appliances to be mended, or if unrepairable, buy reconditioned models at a price they can afford. Imagine these workshops staffed by a team of people who have been trained in the specialist skills needed to repair the appliances. Priority could be given to providing jobs for the unemployed, the disabled, the homeless, who could be trained by experts, possibly in the form of an apprenticeship.
I believe that centres such as these, as well as utilising empty property and providing jobs for the unemployed, would also be extremely popular with members of the public, who would appreciate the convenience of one location to take all their broken appliances to, near to their home, which was also an environmentally friendly option. Where larger premises are available, the scheme could be extended to include bigger items such as bicycles and small pieces of furniture.
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