Keeping devices in consumers’ hands for longer in the Czech Republic and Slovakia

Circularity is often associated with recycling, yet repair can be an earlier and more impactful intervention. By keeping devices in use longer, repair—when delivered well—preserves the value embedded in materials and manufacturing, reduces resource consumption and waste, and can enhance the consumer experience.  

To put this approach into practice, we introduced device repair services at selected brand retail stores in the Czech Republic and Slovakia. As leading smoke-free markets with established circularity-related initiatives including take-back and recycling programs, both were well positioned to test new ways of extending device life and further advancing circular economy principles.

Pioneering PMI’s in-store repair services 

When a smoke-free device remains functional but shows visible wear, consumers wishing to improve its appearance have traditionally had only one option: replace it. As part of a pilot launched in 2024 and extending through to 2026, we began offering an in-store repair service at seven of our stores across the Czech Republic and five in Slovakia.  

Our initial offer focused on replacing IQOS ILUMA ONE caps. These are the protective sliding covers that help keep the consumable insertion area clean when not in use. This offer would assess the service’s relevance, build operational expertise, and gauge consumer demand for broader cosmetic repair options in the future, including their willingness to pay.  

We deliberately designed the first phase of our pilot as a lean, scalable service requiring only limited repair tools and appropriately trained staff. Rather than relying on specialist technicians, we used existing store employees whom we had trained to perform the repairs. Once the pilot was launched, the team used surveys to gauge any shift in brand perception of IQOS, interest in future offerings of cosmetic repairs, and to better understand consumer expectations. We initially offered the service free of charge to encourage uptake and understand the consumer experience. Once the service was fully optimized, we introduced a modest fee (roughly 20 US cents) in April 2025 as part of the pilot, with the objective to test the functionality of our IT systems and payment processes before scaling the service. We also continued assessing consumer feedback using surveys.  

Survey results have indicated a clear willingness to contribute: approximately 70 percent of respondents in the Czech Republic and 75 percent in Slovakia said they would consider paying for cosmetic repairs. Consumers also indicated a strong interest in expanding the cosmetic repair service offerings. Importantly, their preferred price points remained approximately 80 percent below the cost of a new device, helping preserve a strong financial incentive to repair rather than replacement. This balance is central to the model: the fee should contribute to the service’s long-term viability while keeping repair a viable and accessible choice for consumers.  

This environmental benefit is also measurable: according to internal estimates, repairing an IQOS ILUMA device can reduce CO2 emissions by at least 85 percent compared with buying a new device. Building on the learnings from the initial pilot, in August 2026 we scaled the IQOS ILUMA ONE cap replacement service to all 33 Czech Republic stores and all 18 Slovakia stores. At the same time, consumer feedback from this first phase supported the testing of an additional service to replace discolored device charging casings for the IQOS ILUMA MID device. We are currently testing consumer interest and operational feasibility of this service in five Czech Republic and two Slovakia stores. Expanding our service offerings beyond cap replacements requires a larger and more diverse supply of spare parts and specialized tools to support multiple repair types across our retail network. More complex cosmetic repairs, such as replacing scratched or damaged device casings, require additional in-store equipment and staff training. For example, where a replaced component displays the device’s unique identification code, stores need engraving equipment to reproduce the code on the new part, ensuring the device remains identifiable and traceable. 

Looking ahead, a paid model across all repair services could help cover the ongoing costs of spare parts, tools, staff training, and service delivery, reinforcing the sustainability of the initiative over time and supporting its potential expansion beyond the pilot. Together, these survey findings and operational tests provided valuable insights into both consumer acceptance of the repair services and the feasibility of a scalable repair model.  

Convenience that resonates with consumers

The pilot’s value ultimately depends on whether consumers see repair as a convenient and practical alternative to replacement. 

Survey results collected between 2024 and early 2026 strongly suggest that they do: the Net Promoter Scores (NPS) for the service is classified as world-class, with average scores over 83 across both markets as of January 2026. NPS measures how likely consumers are to recommend a service, on a scale from −100 to +100; scores above 80 therefore indicate exceptionally strong consumer advocacy. Around seven in ten respondents also said the service had an extremely positive impact on their perception of the IQOS brand, with consumers particularly valuing the simplicity and timeliness of the service, while avoiding unnecessary replacement. The ability to retain devices with personal significance, including customized or engraved devices, was also highlighted as a significant benefit. These findings highlight the importance of combining convenience with accessible pricing to encourage wider uptake and ultimately ensure that repair remains a practical and accessible option for consumers.

Strong consumer satisfaction translated into broader interest in the service. Targeted consumer communications to approximately 9,000–10,000 registered adult users in each market prompted an immediate increase in store traffic: month-over-month visits rose by 122 percent in the Czech Republic and by 60 percent in Slovakia. This response suggests that repair, and its potential contribution to product longevity, can provide a compelling reason for consumers to engage with the brand.  

The initiative also created additional value for retail teams. Repair appointments offered more time to understand consumer needs, discuss relevant products and services, and reinforce the role of stores as convenient service destinations, not only points of sale.

Lessons for scaling in-store repairs 

With strong consumer interest established, we also identified through this pilot several operational improvements we are incorporating in our broader scale-up. These include establishing a consistent system for recording and monitoring repairs; giving stores reliable, real-time visibility of spare-parts availability; adapting spare-parts packaging for efficient in-store handling; and integrating repair into existing retail systems so employees can register, process, and track each service seamlessly. In addition, adapting spare-parts packaging for the retail environment is a priority. Spare parts are currently delivered to markets in bulk shipments, requiring local teams to sort, repackage, and distribute individual components to stores. As our service expands, more retail-friendly packaging and distribution solutions will be needed to improve efficiency, reduce handling time, and ensure stores can access the right parts when needed. 

Extending value through every device 

The pilots offer a concrete example of how PMI understands sustainable value creation across multiple forms of capital, not as a separate agenda. By helping consumers keep devices in use for longer, the initiative preserves manufactured capital by potentially extending the life of products already placed on the market; supports natural capital by contributing to the reduction of avoidable resource use and waste; strengthens social and relationship capital by responding to a practical consumer need in a convenient way; and builds intellectual and human capital by developing new retail capabilities, service processes, and operational learnings that can inform future scale-up. It also illustrates how circularity can contribute to business value by improving consumer experience, reinforcing brand trust, and creating opportunities for more efficient product stewardship over time. 

We will continue drawing on insights from the Czech Republic, Slovakia, and other markets where repair services are being introduced to strengthen and scale the model. By translating these learnings into accessible, efficient services, we aim to make repair an increasingly practical choice for consumers, extending device life, reducing unnecessary replacement, and embedding circularity more firmly in the everyday consumer experience.