3 of 10 garments can be repaired instead of replaced

In 2019, Fristads could repair the garment and return it to the customer in 30 percent of the customer claim reports, instead of replacing it with a new one. The most common repairs made were to replace buttons and zippers.

“Our workwear is made to protect the user during the workday, that is a promise we stand behind 100 percent. For us, function and quality are the alpha and omega of everything we do, we are driven by developing quality products that last and by that contribute to a lower consumption and a better environment. Thanks to our customers we can continuously improve our quality and prolong the lifespan of the garments,” says Anders Hülse, MD at Fristads.

0.1 percent of all sold garments resulted in a claim

In 2019, 0.1 percent of all sold garments resulted in a claim. A claim may be about a zipper

that needs to be changed or an extra reinforcement to be added to an area that is subject to wear. When a customer makes a claim on a product, the first action is always to see if the garment can be repaired instead of being replaced. 30 percent of these claims were repaired and returned to the customer instead of being replaced with new products. The most common repair made is to change zippers and buttons and during last year 775 zippers and 169 buttons were replaced.

“We have a very low number of claims compared to the number of sold garments. I think it is a result of our dedicated work during the years to establish several internal forums where we can identify potential improvements at an early stage, mainly through our Claims Department and the Quality Department. As a result, deviations can be quickly identified and improvements can be made in an efficient way,” Hülse says.

Own team of quality controllers

To stay on top in terms of quality, Fristads has developed processes to continuously improve their products – so they can be used to their full potential and throughout the product’s life cycle, thereby minimising each product’s environmental impact. Among other things, Fristads has a team of quality controllers who work closely with suppliers and several team members are stationed in the countries where the fabrics and garments are produced.

“This has several benefits, for example our partnerships with the suppliers are stronger and in line with Fristads’ aim to always work as close to the source as possible. Each order is inspected by the controllers throughout the production process to minimise discrepancies which can lead to rejected products since this may have a negative impact on the environment,” says Hülse.

During production, several checks are carried out on the material, technical specifications, and seams. In addition, each shipment is inspected before departure and after arrival to measure the moisture content – to avoid the garments being contaminated by mould.

Sustainability report 2019

Read more about Fristads work with quality and initiatives made to reduce the environmental impact in the sustainability report for 2019. Download the report here.

 For more information visit www.fristads.com