A new app-based returns solution called ReturnQueen, which provides a concierge-like service where consumers can pay a one-time, monthly or annual fee and leave multiple returned items from different retailers at their door to be picked up, has expanded nationwide and is launching a B2B offering. The partners have been in discussions with midsize and enterprise level retailers.
Two Boxes, a software startup promising to make the dispositioning of ecommerce returns more efficient for brands and 3PLs, has launched with a $4.5 million seed round and advisors from Amazon, Shopify, Whiplash, Loop Returns and Rent the Runway. Funding was led by Vinyl Capital, with Matchstick Ventures and Range Ventures.
Liquidity Services, a major marketplace for returned and overstock merchandise, has opened a second AllSurplus Deals location at its facility in Hebron, KY, allowing local consumers to purchase deals online, then pick them up at its warehouse. The first opened in Phoenix in 1999, and plans call for more facilities to add pick-up services.
While ecommerce returns continue to soar and cost retailers both in terms of actual dollars and the bad customer experience, there are practical ways to reduce the rate, make the process more efficient and leverage the customer opportunity, attendees were told at the NRF 2023 Big Show in New York.
FloorFound has expanded its nationwide recommerce network, including five facilities totaling 500,000 square feet of space and business intelligence software that helps retailers determine the best channel for maximizing resale value, plus an integration with project44’s supply chain platform.
Despite all the attention paid to skyrocketing returns, most retailers in 2022 still treat them as simply the cost of doing business instead of as a strategic focus area and opportunity for a stepped-up customer experience, and the numbers of a new report bear out that approach.
For lower-priced products or some less expensive bulky items, returnless refunds can be cheaper than shipping the item back, restocking, selling and shipping again. But this also has its own risks, with the potential to encourage malicious shopper behavior and opening another avenue for scammers trying to score free stuff.
Can selfies help solve the nagging problem of apparel returns? That’s the assertion of Nosto, provider of what it calls a commerce experience platform. Of consumers surveyed in the U.S. and UK, 61% said if brands posted photos and videos online of actual shoppers wearing their products, it would cut down on the number of returns.
Home improvement shopping season is in full swing. Unfortunately, spring is also a sign that retailers are entering one of the most logistically challenging and costly returns seasons of the year. Here is a review of major returns issues following home improvement season, and what retailers can do to mitigate the fallout.
Boox, a company providing returns service with reusable boxes being trialed by companies like Sephora, Revolve and lululemon, is rolling out a line of reusable bags as it expands into apparel and other categories and looks to grow its footprint beyond the U.S. and the UK. The Boox Baag, as it’s called, is made from recycled polyester.