Enky champions the growing second-hand furniture sector by providing businesses with high-quality, sustainably sourced items and a forward-thinking subscription model. CEO, Aïssa Laroussi, tells us how the company is revolutionising the European market and advocating for a circular economy.
THE FUTURE OF FURNITURE
In a bid to depart from the trap of fast fashion that the retail industry has fallen into in the last 20 years, consumers are gravitating towards more thoughtful and sustainably-driven purchases.
One area battling the elements of unsustainable consumerism is the furniture industry, which uses a vast number of raw materials and generates significant levels of waste in its production processes.
In light of this, the second-hand furniture sector is experiencing a considerable uptick, with projected year-on-year sales growth of 9.1 percent between 2024 and 2030, aided by the emergence of the circular economy.
Founded in 2018, Belgian-based start-up Enky strives to make the most of this flourishing, eco-friendly market by offering clients a vast range of second-hand furniture that’s not only sustainable and affordable but also high-quality and stylish.
The company’s pioneering furniture-as-a-service (FaaS) model has revolutionised the business-to-business (B2B) furniture industry as it helps address a number of challenges faced by companies across Europe when choosing environmental and fashionable furnishings.
“Kitting out a business with furniture represents one of the largest single capital costs after purchasing or leasing premises,” opens Aïssa Laroussi, CEO.
“Then you have to think about the furniture lifecycle; buying and selling or getting rid of furniture that has depreciated and downgraded is a major headache for most businesses.”
To address this growing environmentally-conscious demand for convenience, Enky offers a wide selection of high-quality second-hand furniture on a subscription basis.
As a result, it has placed over €5.4 million worth of sustainable furniture on the market across 100+ projects since it launched seven years ago.
GRANTING FURNITURE FLEXIBILITY
Enky prides itself on providing a flexible range of alternatives for both new and second-hand furniture in the form of its FaaS subscription and circular purchase model, whereby the company guarantees to buy or take back any unwanted items.
The pieces are then refurbished or passed on elsewhere, thus extending the lifecycle of the furniture as much as possible.
“We believe that a subscription model is the best way to support businesses in their agility and evolution. There’s also obviously the financial aspect, knowing that you don’t have to spend a huge amount of cash straight away,” informs Laroussi.
As a result, clients can purchase excellent products at a very low price and with certified flexibility afforded by leasing the furniture.
By integrating refurbished items into its offerings, the company is recapturing demand and accelerating adoption.
“We can help our customers design their space and work with architects and brand leaders as partners who share our vision and are champions of Enky.”
Commendably, the company also guarantees that all its items are ethically and sustainably sourced from within Europe, as it strives to reduce the excessive costs and high carbon footprint often associated with first-mile delivery in the furniture industry.
THE CIRCULAR REVOLUTION
Enky’s FaaS model serves the purpose of aligning its clients with their environmental, social, and governance (ESG) responsibilities, as it encourages them to regeneratively think about furniture in the context of the planet and the growing circular economy.
“Morally, we all have to take a share of the responsibility to conserve Earth’s resources and help take action against climate change,” Laroussi impassions.
Indeed, in Europe alone, 11 million tonnes of furniture ends up in landfill annually, equating to around 45 million individual items, of which approximately only three percent is recycled.
The company, therefore, stresses the importance of reusing and repurposing furniture that already exists, an approach that is the lifeblood of Enky.
“It’s not a choice, but a necessity driven by people’s consumption and habits – the future is circular,” Laroussi urges.
“Furniture is a key sector in this trend as the industry consumes a lot of raw materials and produces significant waste. It is one of the most polluting industries, and highly impactful for consuming finite resources.”
Moreover, significant international events and conferences, such as COP30 being held in Brazil this year, shine a light on the need for action.
This is supported by several laws, including the Anti-Waste for a Circular Economy (AGEC) law in France and the Circular Economy Package (CEP) in the UK, which demonstrates the extent to which Europe is ready for change.
“Morally, we all have to take a share of the responsibility to conserve Earth’s resources and help take action against climate change”
Aïssa Laroussi, CEO, Enky
GIVING FURNITURE A NEW LEASE OF LIFE
Second-hand furniture plays a key role in the shift towards a circular economy as it uses fewer natural resources and lessens the amount of waste, thereby reducing the industry’s impact on the planet.
“Items can be long-lasting if selected carefully and in line with high standards of sustainability. Giving furniture a second life reduces waste; it is good for the wallet and the planet,” Laroussi details.
Thus, Enky has created its own refurbishment furniture workshops in Paris, France, and London, UK, with hopes to open one in Berlin, Germany.
“This will help us stay true to our principles of minimising carbon emissions, as the ‘first mile’ of delivery is notoriously impactful in this regard,” Laroussi concludes.
These workshops enable the company to restore furniture it receives or already owns, reconditioning pieces to give them a new lease of life before presenting them to clients.
In keeping with Enky’s mission, the company also plans to invest in sourcing its own second-hand furniture stock and capitalise on the burgeoning European market for high-quality items.
In the next five to 10 years, Enky will continue to build on its growth in the EU’s biggest markets, as well as launch in the US, making it a global player in the industry and the de-facto furniture standard.
