What's
The Right to Repair it is a set of global laws and standards that oblige manufacturers and retailers of electronics (and other durable goods) to design products that can be repaired and, crucially, to make spare parts, specialized tools and instruction manuals accessible for end consumers and independent workshops.
In the context of e-commerce, this law turns the online store from just one “point of finished product sales” into one maintenance hub, where the sale of the main device (eg a smartphone) should coexist with the easy supply of its vital components (eg batteries, screens, circuits).
The Context: The End of the Black Box“”
Historically, many manufacturers made it difficult to repair (using proprietary screws, industrial glues, or software locks) to encourage the purchase of a new device, a practice known as planned obsolescence.
The movement Right to Repair, consolidated in the European Union and in several US states (and moving forward in Brazil), it reverses this logic. It establishes that the consumer is the true owner of the product and, therefore, must have the autonomy to extend its useful life.
Practical Impact on E-commerce
For virtual stores, the Right to Repair requires a catalog restructuring and UX (User Experience):
- Explosion of SKUs (Stock Keeping Units):E-commerce does not sell only 1 model of vacuum cleaner; now it needs to register and stock 20 spare parts for that model (filters, hoses, motors). This requires a much more complex STORing management of long“”.
- The“ REPAIRability index” in the Showcase:Similar to energy efficiency seals (Procel), product pages now display a Repair Note (from 0 to 10). The search algorithm and site filters should allow the consumer to order products by the “EasMore Easy to Fix”.
- Availability of Manuals and Schemes:The legislation requires that technical information be democratic. E-commerce should host PDFs of service manuals, tutorial videos and assembly schemes on the product page itself, not hidden in restricted areas of the manufacturer's website.
- Checkout Repair Kits (Cross-selling):A new cross-selling strategy emerges: when buying a notebook, the site suggests: “Would you like to add the key kit and extra battery for this model by +R$ 150?”.
"I have it in stock at the central warehouse. I'll place the order now and it will arrive at your home."
Although it seems a logistical burden, the Right to Repair opens up new revenue fronts:
- Loyalty and Trust: Brands that facilitate repair are perceived as more honest and sustainable, increasing the Lifetime Value (LTV) customer.
- SEO traffic: The search for “how to fix X” phone screen or “battery for Y” notebook generates a massive volume of qualified organic traffic that e-commerce can capture.
- Reduction of Returns (RMA): If a customer can fix a small defect with one piece of R$ 20, they avoid returning the entire product of R$ 2,000, saving huge reverse logistics costs to the store.
Challenges and Risks
- Safety & Responsibility: E-commerce should ensure that manuals contain clear safety warnings.If a customer is injured trying to fix a microwave with a part sold by the site, there may be legal implications depending on the jurisdiction.
- Parts Inventory Management: Maintaining parts from old models (required by law for up to 10 years in some cases) takes up space and working capital. The solution is often 3D printing of parts on-demand or direct partnerships with manufacturers (Dropshipping parts).
Summary for the Manager
In 2026, the Right to Repair is no longer a “differential” activist, but a compliance requirement (compliance). stores that ignore the sale of parts and technical transparency run the risk of fines and loss of relevance to a consumer who values the longevity and sustainability of their goods.
Next step for you:
To close this cycle of trending content, you would like me to create one Comparative Table (Table) summarizing the differences between the Traditional E-commerce (2020-2024) and the E-commerce Agentic/Sustainable (2026) Based on the 3 articles we write today?
