At Fixfest 2025, Frank from The Repair Finder CIC, Junaid from Saras Fix and Ally & Gem from We Are Repairs hosted a discussion session on “Bridging the gap between community and commercial repair”. The purpose was to come up with practical ideas on how community repair can with engage with commercial repair business and vice versa.
It is a frequently vocalised myth that repair cafés and repair businesses don’t mix, but everyone saw them as synergistic. Junaid also volunteers at local Repair Cafés and what people bring to each is different. Community repair and repair businesses are part of the same ecosystem, that is developing in response to a need for our society. A community repair organiser in the group mentioned that the mindset of the Repair Café needs to be clear: repair “with”, not “for”. By engaging in the repair themselves, visitors come to value (repair) skills more, which ultimately helps the professional repairers.
In this way, community repair can become a gateway, sending people on to commercial repairers when jobs go beyond what’s possible in a free, volunteer-driven setting. The discussion further highlighted the need for two-way referrals between Repair Cafés and local businesses. Perhaps local businesses could display posters advertising their local Repair Café? This will require building trust and a relationship between the volunteer repairers and their local repair businesses. One great example came from Fixing Factory, where a restaurant kept getting toasters repaired and began talking about it to their customers – repair became part of everyday conversation.
One of the most practical insights was the idea of a cost threshold for repairs, being studied in PhD research at the KU Leuven, with a focus on household white goods appliances. Below a certain figure, most customers are happy to proceed. Above it, they hesitate. For businesses, understanding this threshold can make all the difference – helping customers make informed decisions while also educating them about the true value of skilled repair work, without wasting time for either party.
The group also discussed the concept of a database for professional repairers (such as We Are Repairs) and the expectations around it. Someone pointed out that, while Google Maps could be considered a competitor to find local businesses, people will look for “sofa repair” without knowing they need an upholsterer. The group highlighted the importance to build trust in the listed businesses, and thus in the platform. Do they actually exist? Do they deliver quality repairs?
The takeaway from our discussion was clear: community and commercial repair are not competitors – they are allies. Together, they can create a thriving ecosystem where skills are valued, trust is built, and people are empowered to choose repair over replacement.
