From left to right: Kristina Kölling (Head of Environment and Circular Economy Tchibo), Mirca Braun (Head of Marketing Coffee Machines Tchibo), Karoline Reperich (Sustainability Manager, Circular Economy Tchibo), Andrea Schneller (CEO koorvi). Foto credit: Tchibo
HAMBURG, June 16, 2025 – Tchibo is launching a digitally managed take-back and resale program for fully automatic coffee machines in collaboration with the circular tech startup koorvi. Starting now, customers can trade in their used machines in the Tchibo online shop in exchange for vouchers. The returned devices are refurbished and resold — creating a circular product stream that generates new marketing momentum without additional new production.
By integrating koorvi’s platform, Tchibo gains a scalable infrastructure to track returns, manage refurbishment, and enable resale — all in a transparent and efficient way. Given the high quality of Tchibo’s coffee machines, which continue to perform well beyond the first usage cycle, extending their lifespan through resale is the logical next step.
The program is designed for the long term: if successful, it will be expanded to include additional product categories.
“With this program, we’re proving that sustainability doesn’t have to be a cost — it can be a driver of circular business models and long-term value creation,” says Kristina Kölling, Head of Environment and Circular Economy at Tchibo. “By giving our coffee machines a second life, we’re closing the loop — benefiting both the environment and our business.”
“We built koorvi to make circularity simple, scalable and profitable,” says Andrea Schneller, CEO of koorvi. “Our partnership with Tchibo shows what’s possible when sustainability meets smart infrastructure.”
More information about the program here.
About Tchibo
Tchibo stands for a unique business model. Operating in eight countries, Tchibo runs around 900 shops, over 24,200 retail depots, and national online stores. Through its multichannel distribution system, Tchibo offers not only coffee and its single-serve systems Cafissimo and Qbo, but also weekly changing non-food assortments and services. Founded in 1949 in Hamburg, the family-owned company generated revenues of €3.2 billion in 2023 with 10,708 employees worldwide. Tchibo is the market leader for roasted coffee in Germany, Austria, the Czech Republic, and Hungary, and is among the leading e-commerce companies in Europe. Tchibo has received multiple awards for its sustainable business practices.
About koorvi
koorvi provides a software solution that enables brands to take back, refurbish, and resell their products – fully digital and scalable. The platform includes a white-label take-back portal and resale shop, as well as a central dashboard to track every step of the process. This empowers companies to unlock new revenue streams, boost customer retention, and maintain full control over the secondary market for their products.
