Darty is an iconic retail brand in home appliances. Darty has a long history and is valued by the French for its quality of service (especially after-sales services). At a time when the e-commerce disruption and inflation have put more tension on prices, Darty strives to justify its added value. That’s why Darty is constantly trying to extend and enrich its service experience. Some years ago, the brand added a key pillar to its services strategy: sustainability.

This blend of services and sustainability leads us to build a new brand purpose for Darty, which is to fight against throwaway lifestyles.

Darty is an iconic retail brand in home appliances. Darty has a long history and is valued by the French for its quality of service (especially after-sales services). At a time when the e-commerce disruption and inflation have put additional tension on prices, Darty strives to justify its added value. That’s why Darty is constantly extending and enriching its service experience. Some years ago, the brand added a key pillar to its services strategy: sustainability.

Last year, we revamped the Darty brand platform to turn this company commitment into a brand positioning (Darty – let’s make it last). Then, we wanted to nurture it beyond comms, thanks to innovative new services.

Whether it is to choose a washing machine, a restaurant, a hotel or a smartphone case, 7 out of 10 French people rely on online reviews to make their choice. Reviews are practical and reassuring.

However, there is a significant bias for all the categories where the real value of products is assessed over time: 77% of consumers write their review on a product less than a week after receiving it. Therefore, how do you really know if a product will deliver on its promise over time, which is a key need for home appliance categories?

In order to enhance the credibility and reliability of online reviews, we have taken a revolutionary step by introducing "Long-lasting Reviews". We are inviting Darty's customers to share their honest feedback on products they have purchased and used for over 18 months.

The importance of customer reviews cannot be denied, and it’s evident from the fact that a majority of Darty's customers (55.2%) consider the durability of products as their top priority when making a purchase. These customers are also more selective than the average French consumer, as they meticulously scrutinize the reviews posted on platforms, with a margin of 5% more than national average.

Despite some inherent biases, customer reviews are here to continue to be a valuable source of information for consumers.

Rather than questioning the relevance of customer reviews, we aimed to empower them by revolutionizing the review engine. Our new initiative, "Long-lasting Reviews", invites customers to provide feedback on products they have used for over 18 months, making the reviews more credible and reliable. By doing so, we hope to enhance the usefulness of customer reviews and provide consumers with valuable insights that can inform their purchasing decisions.

To implement our new initiative, "Long-lasting Reviews", we began by utilizing our customer database to send an email invitation to those who had purchased a product at least 18 months ago. In the email, we explained the initiative and invited them to rate their product based on two key aspects: product efficacy and looks. Additionally, customers were given the opportunity to write a detailed review of their experience with the product.

After collecting the data from the reviews, we analyzed it to create long-lasting grades that showcased the durability of the products. We were then able to start showcasing long-lasting grades, helping our customers make wiser choices.

One of our major victories with the "Long-lasting Reviews" initiative was how quickly we were able to sell the idea to Darty Groupe. Although the concept was simple and obvious, it was unexpected and met with enthusiastic support from our colleagues who made its implementation a priority.

While it is still too early to assess the results of this new review policy, we have been gradually deploying it since late February 2023, with the rollout still ongoing. As such, we have not conducted any post-test analysis yet. Nevertheless, we have already received a significant level of international interest.

The concrete impact on brand image and sales has not been quantified yet.

French people are known for their love of sharing opinions on various topics ranging from movies, politics, and weather to brands. This is a trait that we exhibit not only in cafes and long family dinners but at every opportunity we get. We enjoy critiquing and providing our opinions.

This is not only a trait unique to the French but is universal, and we believe that our "Long-lasting Reviews" initiative has the potential to influence retailers worldwide.