Turning In-Store Shoe Take-Back Into Customer Connection: A Case Study from the Netherlands

In August 2025, Utilitarian launched its In-Store Take-Back app across five stores in the Netherlands with Runnersworld and Intersport. The launch aligned with the opening of Runnersworld’s “The Loop” circular concept store in Eindhoven — but the pilot was designed for more than a moment. It tested a new operating model: take-back that works for store teams, customers, and circular partners.

• A 5-month pilot across 5 stores captured product-level take-back data while keeping the in-store flow simple.

• 600+ customers participated and 750+ pairs were scanned in-store.

• The program delivered measurable engagement and a committed partnership for 2026.

Overview

Who: Runnersworld and Intersport (part of EK Netherlands) + FastFeetGrinded + Utilitarian
Where: Netherlands (pilot across five stores)
When: 5-month pilot in 2025 (launched August 2025)
What: An in-store take-back flow that captures data and rewards customers — without disrupting retail operations.

The problem: take-back exists, but it’s often anonymous

Shoe take-back programs are growing because customers expect them, and regulation + retailer strategy are moving in the same direction. But most programs still hit the same barriers:

1. Shoes are collected, but returns are anonymous (no customer identity, often no brand/product detail).

2. Participation is limited with little follow-up.

3. Store teams do the work, but head office lacks visibility.

4. Recyclers receive mixed inputs with limited predictability.

5. Brands can’t engage because there’s no product-level insight.

6. Scaling becomes expensive and operationally fragile.

In short: collection is happening — connection and control are missing.

The solution: a simple in-store flow that captures data and rewards customers

The pilot introduced a take-back process designed to fit how stores actually work.

For store teams

• Not treated like “taking on a project” — deployment was simple with minimal training.

• Could run on busy days with minimal operational impact.

For customers

• Simple and fast: scan to complete in under 20 seconds.

• Customers were happy to receive a small reward/discount for “doing the right thing.”

Results from the pilot

Across five stores over five months:

• 600+ customers participated

• 750+ pairs of shoes scanned in-store

• 5 brands represented, accounting for ~75% of scanned shoes

• Committed partnership for 2026

Why it worked: simple and rewarding

The pilot succeeded because it made take-back feel natural for everyone involved:

• Store teams could run it without operational drag.

• Customers understood the steps instantly and felt rewarded.

• Partners gained clearer insight into what’s coming back — and why that matters.

Circularity needs more than collection — it needs operational control

Runnersworld estimates that 100,000+ pairs of shoes have been collected with FastFeetGrinded since 2016. Yet in the Netherlands, an estimated 60–70 million pairs of shoes still go to waste each year.

The opportunity is not just to collect more — but to create systems that brands and retailers can rely on at scale.

What’s next

The pilot demonstrated that in-store take-back can be a loyalty driver and a data engine — without adding friction for store teams.

Interested in running a pilot or learning how the in-store flow works?

If you’d like to explore an in-store take-back pilot—or see the full results—reach out to Tim Lee (Co-Founder & CEO) at t.lee@utilitarian.world