Arabia’s new service provides an alternative to owning: favourite tableware for a flat monthly fee
Fiskars Group
Press release
November 18, 2019
Arabia’s new service provides an alternative to owning: favourite tableware for a flat monthly fee
Arabia’s new, subscription-based tableware service allows customers to enjoy their favourite tableware for an affordable monthly fee. At the end of the subscription period, the tableware can be returned, purchased, or exchanged for another series. The service includes Arabia’s most popular tableware series, and the size of the tableware set is customisable. With people increasingly interested in borrowing, sharing and renting instead of owning, the circular economy is giving rise to a wealth of new business opportunities.
Arabia is piloting a new service, which provides an alternative to the tradition of ownership. The tableware service, to be launched in November, allows customers to choose and subscribe to a suitable tableware set for a monthly fee. The options include many of Arabia’s most popular series, and to match different needs, sets are available for between two and twelve people.
- Our tableware service adjusts to our customers’ changing lives and needs. When you live in a studio, a small tableware set is perfectly sufficient, but once your family grows or you move into a shared flat, for example, you will need tableware for a bigger group. Our service lets people have exactly the tableware they need at any given moment, says Nora Haatainen, Business Director at Arabia.
The available options include, for example, the Arabia Mainio Sarastus, KoKo, Tuokio and 24h tableware series. There are mugs, deep plates and dinner plates in each set, while some sets include additional items. The monthly subscription fee depends on the series and size of the set. A Mainio Sarastus set for two people, for example, costs €5.90 per month.
The tableware is ordered online at astiapalvelu.arabia.fi and home delivered for extra convenience. The initial subscription is for one year, after which the customer can switch to another series, return the tableware to the store, or purchase it at a reduced price. If the customer needs more tableware during the year, the size of the set can be scaled up online.
Tableware that customers return to the store is sold via the Vintage service, which sells high quality second-hand Iittala and Arabia tableware at affordable prices. Broken or damaged tableware is fully recycled. Ceramics are crushed into a fine powder to provide raw material for bricks, while waste glass will be used to manufacture insulation material.
- The attitude to owning and consumption has changed, and the young generation in particular prefers sharing, borrowing and leasing. Our tableware service allows customers to enjoy beautiful, high quality design in a way that fits in with their lifestyle. As a new tableware series can be chosen each year, the service is also a sustainable and convenient way to update the atmosphere at home by setting the table differently, Nora Haatainen says.
Circular economy brings new opportunities
Arabia is part of the Fiskars Group of brands, which has embraced the circular economy as a key part of its sustainability. The tableware service is a prime example of the new business opportunities created by the circular economy.
- Values and consumer habits are changing, and the need for services is growing. That is why we are bold in testing new solutions. Our Vintage service, for example, was piloted in spring 2018, and now it is available in all our stores in Finland. Other similar pilots are already being planned for the future. Testing out new services and business models is part of our strategy. It offers excellent possibilities to inspire consumers in a positive and sustainable manner, says Tomas Granlund, Fiskars Group Vice President for Service Development.
Arabia’s new tableware service will be launched on 18 November 2019 at astiapalvelu.arabia.fi.
Making the everyday extraordinary
Fiskars Group’s purpose is to make the everyday extraordinary. With our family of lifestyle brands including Fiskars, Gerber, Iittala, Royal Copenhagen, Waterford, and Wedgwood, we want to create a positive, lasting impact on our quality of life. Our products are available in more than 100 countries and we employ around 7,600 people in 30 countries. Please visit us at www.fiskarsgroup.com for more information.