– We are on the steps of a circular revolution, and the goal is nothing less than to put an end to the use-and-throw society, says Sondre Selbæk. Together with Andreas Solbakken, he has developed the app Tings. In Tings, you can enter the receipt for everything you buy. The app will then automatically find a lot of information about the thing and, among other things, keep track of guarantees and maintenance needs. – On the surface, Tings is a personal assistant in your pocket, which keeps track of all the things you own, helps you fix things that are broken, and sell what you no longer use, says Sondre Selbæk. He says many people have no idea what they have in the garage or in the attic and that the app should make it easier to keep track. Tings is continuously working with new investors to continue developing the App, which will help ensure that no one throws away usable things. Photo: Alexander Nordby / news Everyone has to profit from it The two founders from Lillehammer started their company in February last year and are now established in Oslo with 10 employees. So far, almost 10,000 have used the app and 100,000 things are already stored there. The app is free, but companies and retail chains pay to be members, in order to give their customers better service through it. – We want it to be as easy to take care of things as it is to buy new ones. For that to happen, we believe that everyone must benefit from things lasting, not just us consumers, but also those who make and sell the thing, says Sondre Selbæk. Would you like to use such an app? Yes, it sounds good No I don’t have that many things Show result I’m not afraid of less sales The sports store Anton Sport in Oslo is among those who have jumped on the bandwagon. – It is a very exciting concept. We are a sports chain that wants to be ahead of the curve and thought it might be a good idea for the customers who shop with us, that we are also concerned with the journey to the product after it has been purchased, says store manager Stefan von der Lippe. Anton Sport has purchased membership in the App. They think it will be good for both them and the customers. Photo: Alexander Nordby / news The sports store manager is not afraid that they will lose sales due to customers keeping what they buy longer than before. – Rather, we think it provides an opportunity to be honest with the customer. And I think that selling things that you may no longer use can benefit us by having them come and buy a new item from us, he says. Additional products will also appear and the store can offer maintenance and repairs through the app. Cutting jackets to pieces The founders hope to solve the problem that we waste too much and throw away too much. They have allowed themselves to be shocked by how several stores handle complaints. Instead of taking the garment in for repair, they ask customers to cut into pieces, e.g. an expensive jacket, to get a new one. – We believe that everyone who makes or sells the product has a responsibility to prevent usable things ending up in the trash, says Sondre Selbæk. Now the EU directive “Right to Repair” is also coming. It could mean a crossroads for the use-and-throw society. The founders from Lillehammer will set the global standard for circular trade in the future. Photo: Alexander Nordby / news Believes in success Espen Andersen at BI Business School has great faith in the business idea of Selbæk and Solbakken. At the same time, he says that it is a balancing act to provide services to both those who buy and those who sell the same product. – The value lies in the fact that we keep our things in order has value for the companies that are concerned about us taking care of our things, says Andersen. He is an associate professor at the department of strategy and entrepreneurship at BI in Oslo and has some familiarity with Selbæk and Solbakken from before. Espen Andersen at BI in Oslo has great faith in the business idea. Photo: Alexander Nordby / news – I have no doubt that they are solving a problem. And I have no doubt that they offer value both for the customer and the companies that want to use the services. And then there are 150 things that can go wrong when you start a business like this here, says Andersen. Selbæk and Solbakken have set themselves high goals. – We are small now, but the plan is to be the global standard for circular trade in the future, says Sondre.
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The Tings app will put an end to the use-and-throw society – news Innlandet – Local news, TV and radio
