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Something To Use, Whilst Yours Is In Repair

What do you use when you need to have your mobile phone repaired? Or your car? Or your shoes?

Customers of this shoe stand in Kampala are given temporary footwear (made from re-cycled tyres) that can be worn whilst their shoes are repaired. What are the factors that make this replacement-whilst-you-wait feasible?

Widespread ownership of one pair of shoes (or one pair of appropriate shoes) may spur demand for this kind of service. What other factors will create user pull? What factors make it feasible for the service provider to offer alternatives?

The 'tyre' shoes function well enough as (temporary) footwear but are certainly different from the originals. How different can they be? In what circumstances is it feasible for service provider to offer a temporary replacement that is better than what they are used to? Your Jaguar is in for repair? Try this Lexus for a week.

And Uganda? From what I've seen so far a very postive place to conduct research - all credit goes to our local collaborators.

Writing from Kampala | June 25, 2006 | Permalink