How Yuno makes tech more affordable, flexible, and sustainable
More than ever before, technology occupies a large space in our everyday lives. The number of electronic products we own has multiplied in recent years. Access to new technology is thus becoming both more complex and more expensive. This is accompanied by increased resource consumption and an inadequate recycling strategy. Not even 10% of smartphones in Switzerland are recycled. Almost 40% end up in a drawer at the end of their lifetime and stay there for an unknown period of time.
One of Sparrow Ventures’ new venture projects stems from this development in people’s lives, with the goal to offer a solution that makes consumer electronics both affordable and more resource-efficient. At the same time, attitudes towards possessions and materialism are changing. In a social context, we see how usage and ownership are diverging. Likes of Netflix or Spotify are well-known examples that give their field access to a huge assortment for a monthly fee. This is where Yuno comes in: Yuno offers consumer electronics for rent on a monthly subscription basis. In the online shop www.getyuno.ch, Yuno offers access to the latest technology at an affordable price and with full flexibility: pay it as you use it! You can for example get an iPhone or a camera from CHF 24.90 a month. The rental model allows to make each product available to several customers, thus extending its lifetime. This use of the circular economy enables better use of resources and reduction of e-waste.
Products range from smartphones, tablets, and laptops to wearables, cameras, or gaming consoles and can be rented on a monthly basis. There are options to choose between 1, 3, 6 and 12 months of minimum rental length. The longer the rental period, the lower the monthly price. If customers wish to use a product for longer than originally planned, the rental period can easily be extended. The price includes all insurance and shipping costs. At the end of the rental period, the product is returned to Yuno to terminate the rental. It can also be exchanged for a new device. Once the product is returned to the service center, it is manually inspected, cleaned, refurbished and repackaged to ensure that it meets high-quality standards, is fully functional and thus ready for the next user.
Yuno entered the pilot phase at the end of the last year 2021 and has been available to customers ever since. If the pilot proves itself in this first phase, the goal is to gradually increase product availability and offering. So far, the service has attracted a lot of positive feedback from its customers in Switzerland.
