Venture Building

The Laundry Industry Goes Circular: A Sustainable Approach to Laundry

Establishing a circular economy venture for sustainable growth: Reducing environmental impact in the laundry industry

As part of Henkel's strategy for sustainable operating models, we have developed a completely new innovative service within the framework of the circular economy. It is called “Comfort Wash” and takes laundry to the next level. With Persil Samsung Comfort Wash, customers never have to worry about buying and storing laundry detergent or about a faulty washing machine again. Instead of buying their machines, they can now simply lease them as long as they use the new Comfort Wash service.

Main Goal: Make Henkel a pioneer in the circular economy

The COVID-19 pandemic presented many companies with the challenge of responding quickly to the increasingly digital needs of their customers. The Henkel team saw exactly this situation as a great opportunity and worked purposefully to adapt to changing consumer behavior. These include the increasing preference for online shopping and direct-to-consumer services.

Henkel set strategic priorities to improve its online presence and direct contact with consumers. Henkel saw a unique opportunity to demonstrate its commitment to sustainability and innovation by becoming a pioneer in the transition to a circular economy business model.

In collaboration with Henkel, Etribes developed, validated and prototyped a new D2C business model using the concept of subscription-based services in a circular economy. From the start, the vision for Comfort Wash was to save resources, reduce waste and increase customer lifetime value.

“In my opinion, there are three success factors for sustainable ventures: persistence and an internal rethink, trustworthy partners who share risks and a common goal, and high-quality data analysis for gradual improvements.”

Patricjus Ziecik, Head of LHC Marketing and Henkel Consumer Brands Trade Marketing Poland

Why customers will love the new Comfort Wash service

Highest flexibility

The idea behind Comfort Wash is based on the assumption that not every consumer wants to own a washing machine. The offer is perfect for people who frequently change their place of residence and are looking for flexible solutions - or for anyone who wants to test the device before buying.

Fastest delivery

The entire process is easy and simple. The user selects one of the three subscription plans that best suits their needs. Within just 4 working days, the delivery service delivers a Samsung washing machine with EcoBubble™ technology directly to the user's front door.

Sustainability

Comfort Wash uses the concept of subscription-based services in a circular economy. From the outset, the vision for Comfort Wash was to save resources, reduce waste and increase customer lifetime value.