Four co-founders launched Econviene, a start-up that allows people to buy supplements and cosmetics online at a discounted price, saving them from the bin.
Every year, millions of products sold in pharmacies and parapharmacies are destroyed simply because they have a damaged package, because they have an expiry date of less than six months, or because they are end-of-stock items. To combat this waste, Econviene was born: an e-commerce website that saves thousands of personal health and wellness products — especially supplements and cosmetics — from the bin, reselling them online with discounts of up to 50 per cent. The platform was officially launched last May by four co-founders through the start-up Aldigiù srl, headquartered in Udine with operational offices in Padua.
"In 2014 I came across a website in England that sold expired food products that were still perfectly good," says Giuliano Filippi, a marketing consultant in the pharmaceutical sector and one of Econviene's founders. "I mentioned it to a former colleague of mine, Diego Zancarini, and he suggested we do the same with parapharmaceuticals — the product we knew best, since we worked for a pharmaceutical company and were well aware of the large quantities of unused stock sitting in warehouses. Zancarini then brought in Alberto Monico, who heads a logistics and pharmaceutical and cosmetic product distribution company, and the project got off the ground, also benefiting from the support of the Friuli Venezia Giulia Region."
Econviene purchases supplements and cosmetics (but also, for example, gauze, plasters, creams and insect repellents) from companies, wholesalers and pharmacies that would otherwise dispose of them, and then resells them online at a discount. "Our belief is that wasting them makes no sense," explains Filippi. "We don't think we're saving the planet, but with this project we combine a green conscience with transparency towards the consumer — environmental and economic ethics." Browsing the website, visitors can find supplements and cosmetics in the catalogue with a fixed discount of 20 per cent on the list price, as well as numerous products at risk of destruction offered at a 50 per cent discount. The idea is to respect nature while, at the same time, saving money.
"There are no official figures on waste: wholesalers, who are something of a litmus test for the sector, speak to us of stock levels of 2–3 per cent which, taking for example the 2.5 billion euros in supplement revenues, are significant numbers," Filippi adds. Econviene's products come from official sources, are stored and preserved in accordance with current regulations, are completely intact in terms of their physico-chemical properties, and are guaranteed until their natural expiry date, provided they are also stored correctly by the end user. Orders are dispatched for delivery throughout Italy within 24–48 hours of the online purchase: "The products we handle come from recognised and qualified companies and brands. Supplements are the most sought-after products so far. Weight-loss products and branded cosmetics are also purchased. And we also have a section with food for dogs and cats."