This thesis investigates how design can support the development and adoption of repair and refurbishment services by bridging the gap between stakeholder priorities, operational systems, and user behaviour. The central challenge lies in creating sufficient added value for end users to activate sustainable behaviours and the uptake of circular service models. Through a strategic design lens, the project examines how interventions can bridge the gap between internal complexity and customer needs, enabling long-term product care.

Using the Vision in Product Design (VIP) method in combination with desk and literature research, as well as qualitative research and design, the study investigates how circular services work and how they can be improved. Through stakeholder interviews, internal observations, co-creation sessions, and service blueprinting, it identifies structural misalignments, service gaps, value tensions, and desires between stakeholders, which currently limit the scalability and effectiveness of upcoming circular initiatives.

The findings show that while customers are open to circular behaviour for kitchens, they require clear guidance, convenience, and clear benefits to take circular action. In response, the project introduces a concept: Kitchen+. This is a conceptual product-service system, designed to encourage the repair and refurbishment service by offering intuitive, low-effort tools and tailored support. It enables sustainable kitchen ownership through both self-service and professional support options while aligning with existing operational structures.

This thesis concludes that activating circular behaviour in a retail setting requires both customer-facing interventions and internal alignment and knowledge. In particular, including design practices and cross-collaboration within the organisation is essential to make new circular services reliable and scalable. Strategic design can serve as a lever to align organisational structures, user needs and system capabilities. It bridges gaps, translates customers’ ambitions into practice and supports long-term behavioural change. Future research could further explore how circular services perform under real-world conditions, whether solutions like Kitchen+ translate user intent into actual behaviour, and how internal systems must adapt to support that change over time.