08 Aug 2012
Dixons Retail: Record Recycling Year
Dixons Retail plc has confirmed that despite the challenging economic environment, its customers have recycled a record 43,500 tonnes of products through the free recycling scheme it operates which makes recycling old electrical products easier for customers.
Dixons Retail operates the Currys and PC World stores in the UK, and is the only specialist electrical retailer to offer its recycling service free of charge nationwide. On delivery of a new purchase, customers are not only asked whether they would like the old product taken away and recycled, but also if there are any other products in their home which need recycling. This offer applies to all electrical items, not just those purchased from Dixons Retail. Customers also have the option to return their old products direct to any Currys or PC World store.
The 43,500 tonnes recycled in 2011/12 is a 6% increase (2010/11 41,127) and was achieved despite slightly slower sales in the UK. The company's Knowhow™ service brand, which delivers and installs to customers nationwide, also reported a 17% increase in the recycling of packaging with over 5,228 tonnes reported this year against 4,458 tonnes last year. Since legislation was introduced in 2007 and the launch of the company's own free recycling scheme, requests from customers to take away old products via our home delivery network, have increased from one in seven to one in three deliveries, rising to 80% in some categories.
"This year we expect to recycle a million products" says Chris Brown, Recycling Manager. "Our service makes recycling old products easy for customers and they are responding by making regular use of what is a very practical and environmentally efficient offer, with our delivery lorries returning full of recycling. And customers aren't just doing their bit for the environment: they are often benefitting the British Heart Foundation as many old products can be reconditioned for resale in their charity outlets.
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Zoe Bird
Brunswick Group
+44(0)7834 502422
About Dixons Retail plc
Dixons Retail plc is one of Europe's leading specialist electrical retailing and services groups, with retail and e-tail operations in 14 and 26 countries respectively. Dixons Retail trades through up to 1,200 stores and online stores and employs over 35,000 people. More than 100 million customers shop with Dixons Retail every year.
In 2008, Dixons Retail launched a 'Renewal and Transformation' strategy to improve profitability and competitiveness. Based on a huge amount of qualitative and quantitative research, the strategy focuses all areas of the business on the customer and aims to deliver an unbeatable combination of Value, Choice and Service. The company is now engaged in an intense period of activity to transform the business and deliver a great shopping experience for millions of customers.
Dixons' retail and e-tail brands include PC World, Currys and Dixons.co.uk in the UK and Ireland, Elkjøp in the Nordic countries, UniEuro and PC City in Italy, Kotsovolos in Greece, Electro World in central Europe, and Pixmania.com across Europe. KNOWHOW.com, an end-to-end services brand to ensure customers get the most out of their product throughout its lifetime, was launched in the UK in 2011.
Dixons operates a multi-channel and pure play e-commerce approach to electrical retailing and offers customers a comprehensive range of after sales services, including support from KNOWHOW, the UK's leading provider of technology solutions and repairs. It also runs a multi-brand business-to-business operation in the UK.
For more information about Dixons Retail plc, please visit www.dixonsretail.com