In an initiative aimed at extending product lifespans and improving transparency for consumers, Fnac-Darty is launching a "digital passport" for refurbished household appliances. The project, designed in partnership with start-up Arianee (which develops the blockchain protocol of the same name), allows each buyer to access the detailed history of their appliance, from its manufacture to its latest repairs. "The idea is really to link the physical world to the virtual world," explains Régis Koenig, Director of Repairs and Sustainability at Fnac-Darty. "Customers will be able to access all the information about their products by simply scanning a QR code."
Fnac-Darty is starting by equipping refurbished products from the Paris 2024 Olympic Village. Nearly 4,000 items of household electrical equipment have already been fitted with the passport. "Today, if I buy a reconditioned washing machine from the Olympics, I can immediately access its entire history by scanning the QR code," explains the Darty representative. "These products were used for two months during the Games and then reconditioned. With this passport, customers can see it all in an instant", Régis Koenig insists. Each device gives new buyers access to detailed information, such as where it was manufactured, the materials used, repairs carried out and parts changed. "It's a guarantee for our customers that they can buy with complete confidence, with full transparency over the product's life cycle", argues the head of one of France's biggest sellers of household appliances.
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Fnac-Darty is not running this project alone. Working with Ecosystem, a leading eco-organisation for the management of waste electronic equipment, Darty is ensuring that the initiative has widespread industry support. "We work with Ecosystem because they are already in contact with all the players in the sector," says Régis Koenig. "This enables us to reach out to the entire sector, including reconditioners and independent repairers. Ecosystem has an important role to play in the project. The aim of this collaboration is to make the digital passport part of a collective dynamic, by convincing other brands, distributors and reconditioners to sign up to this approach. The initiators of the project say that other major retailers are already interested in joining the initiative.
Traceability guaranteed by blockchain technology Blockchain, the technology chosen for this project, ensures the security and authenticity of the data, but above all has enabled the project to develop more quickly. "Without blockchain, we would never have been able to set up such an initiative so quickly and efficiently", says Régis Koenig. He points out that it could have taken "around ten years" to implement such an initiative in the traditional way. Because you have to get everyone to agree, you have to decide who hosts the database, you have to put the rules in place, you have to be able to trust each other, and so on. This technology allows us to make the history of each product tamper-proof and accessible to all players in the value chain," adds Pierre-Nicolas Hurstel, head of Arianee. "It's simple for users, and it's secure and programmable thanks to blockchain", he adds.
The project's roadmap is ambitious. From early 2025, Fnac Darty plans to equip all its refurbished products with a digital passport. "The aim is that before long, every product reconditioned by Fnac-Darty will have its own passport", says Régis Koenig. But this could extend to all products sold, as the company plans to extend this service to new products.
A model that has proved its worth in the luxury sector The initiative is based on a blockchain protocol developed by Arianee, enabling shared governance between all the players in the industry. "The digital passport we have created is a pool of data, a unique sharing space," explains Pierre-Nicolas Hurstel. "Each player, whether manufacturer, distributor or repairer, will have an on-chain identity secured by a smart contract", explains the head of Arianee, whose model has proved its worth in the luxury goods industry. Many major luxury brands such as Richemont and Breitling have been using this system for several years.
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This structure guarantees not only the security of information but also the flexibility to meet the specific needs of each industry. "Tomorrow, it could be very relevant to offer this type of service to car manufacturers, it's typically the kind of product where you need a traceability history of the operations carried out in its life, because it's an expensive good that sells a lot", argues Pierre-Nicolas Hurstel.
Besides transparency and traceability, this digital passport also represents an ecological commitment. "A product that lasts longer is a product that doesn't immediately become waste, and that's essential," insists Régis Koenig of Fnac-Darty. By enabling better traceability and maintenance, Fnac Darty hopes to significantly reduce the amount of household electrical waste. "Every washing machine or fridge that stays in service for another year is a victory for the climate," he insists.
