How five Dutch sporting goods stores launched in-store shoe take-back — and turned it into a customer acquisition channel

Part of the EK Netherlands retail cooperative. Five stores across the Netherlands, starting with RunnersWorld Hoorn and Eindhoven — including the launch of RunnersWorld's circular concept store, The Loop.

Recycling partner since 2016. Has processed an estimated 100,000+ pairs of shoes with RunnersWorld. Handles collection, sorting, and material recovery — now with automated tracking through the platform.

The platform layer. Consumer-facing take-back app, product-level data capture, CRM integration, and operational tracking for the recycler. Deployed with a poster and a QR code — no IT integration required.

Returns were anonymous. No way to follow up, re-engage, or measure customer behaviour.

No brand, model, or category breakdown. Just total weight collected.

The programme cost money to run but generated no measurable marketing or CRM value.

Stores were collecting shoes, but there was no reporting beyond a weight figure. No way to measure impact at store level.

RunnersWorld Hoorn and Eindhoven launched first, with additional stores rolling out over the following weeks.

No hardware, no app installation, no IT integration. Posters placed near existing take-back collection points.

The customer self-serves via their phone. Store teams continue their normal routine.

The platform runs standalone. Data is accessible via dashboard and export. CRM connection available but not required.

customers participated in the take-back programme

pairs of shoes scanned with product-level data

cost per email captured — vs €12–31 via paid channels

represented ~75% of scanned shoes — product-level insight no other channel provides

customers returning specifically to hand in shoes and collect rewards

Email subscribers at €2.72 each — with brand and category data attached. A new owned channel with purchase intent signal built in. Repeat visit behaviour driven by incentive redemption.

Product-level take-back data structured for CSRD and EPR reporting. Auditable traceability from consumer interaction to circular outcome. No more reliance on aggregate weight figures.

Zero additional burden on store teams. No staff training, no new devices, no IT integration. The programme runs on a poster and a QR code. Customers self-serve.

Visibility into what's being collected at product level — not just weight. A richer service offering for their retail clients, and a foundation for operational improvements as the programme scales.

"The steps were self-explanatory. Customers responded positively. Customers are very curious about what actually happens to the shoes."

Wim · Entrepreneur, Intersport Ermelo

"We even see customers coming back specifically to hand in their shoes and collect their reward — which shows the system is working very well in terms of building loyalty and repeat visits."

Rowen Slagter-Pormes · Management, RunnersWorld Hoorn

"What makes this data valuable is not just transparency, but control. For the first time, we can link consumer returns at retail directly to operational circular outcomes."

Danny Pormes · CEO, FastFeetGrinded

"The combination of simplicity, customer engagement, and data-driven transparency is what makes this approach stand out. This is exactly the direction our industry needs."

Ron Bruinenberg · Retail & Expansion, EK Netherlands

What happens when the collection box is full?

The same thing that happened before — FastFeetGrinded picks it up on their regular collection schedule. The take-back app runs independently of the physical collection logistics. Nothing changes for store teams or for the recycler's pickup routine.

What product data is captured?

The customer selects the brand and category of the product they're handing in. This gives you product-level insight into what's being returned — which brands, which categories — linked to an identifiable customer. It's the kind of data no other channel captures.

What does the customer experience look like on mobile?

The customer scans the QR code on the poster, which opens a mobile web page — no app download required. They take a photo of the item, confirm the brand, and enter their email. They then receive a thank you email from the store — with their discount and a link to the store website. The whole thing takes about 20 seconds.

What data does the marketing team actually get?

An email address linked to a product record — brand and category. This tells you what the customer owned, what they're discarding, and implicitly what they're in-market to replace. It's first-party data with purchase intent signal, captured at €2.72 per email versus €12–31 through paid channels.

Did store staff need to change anything about how they work?

No. The customer self-serves entirely. Store teams continue to accept shoes as they always have. The only visible change in-store is a poster near the collection point. As Wim at Intersport Ermelo put it: the steps were self-explanatory.

What happens to the shoes after collection?

FastFeetGrinded handles sorting, processing, and material recovery. Shoes are sorted by condition and material type. Wearable pairs go to reuse markets. Non-wearable shoes are processed into granulate for use in surfaces, insulation, and other applications. Ethical processing standards are required — not optional.