ESG and DEI+J are hot topics in retail, and supply chain is a particular area of focus. Their importance will continue to grow, and their relevance increase as younger generations enter the workforce. Here are some important ways to boost sustainability in your supply chain as you work to integrate it into your overarching ESG/DEI+J strategy.
Amazon has been quietly growing the volume of orders going out boxless, which the company says represented 11% of items shipped in 2022, a move that some see as a sea change in reducing packaging materials that will be imitated across retail. Amazon customers can choose to add an external “smiley” box at checkout, but boxless is now the default, with more apparently opting for it.
With the opportunity for so much online revenue at stake, it’s critical to delight consumers with optimized ecommerce packaging that delivers products without damage. Packaging enhancements need to go beyond functionality, using materials that can be reused or recycled. This is good for the business and the environment, and increasingly attractive to consumers.
Recommerce platform Trove has raised $30 million in a Series E round, bringing its total haul to more than $150 million as integrates its software with major 3PLs, eyes European expansion and plans to add vertical categories later this year beyond its sweet spot of outdoor and luxury retailers and brands. Trove powers recommerce for Carhartt, lululemon, Patagonia, REI, Allbirds and Levi Strauss.
The American Circular Textiles Group (ACT), a coalition of apparel brands, recommerce companies and recycling solution providers, is asking the EPA to include textile waste in a draft plan to reduce plastics that was issued for review in April. ACT proposes amendments to current Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) laws to include textiles, and a deposit system like those for bottles and cans.
Canada Goose launched its pioneering recommerce platform, Canada Goose Generations, in its home country late last week. The new platform encourages consumers to participate in the brand’s commitment to environmental … Continue Reading →
Ecommerce business owners now face a reality in which inflation and slowing sales have changed the outlook entirely. Aggregators don’t have the funds they used to, with investments decreasing 60% from the first half of 2021 to the first half of 2022. With a slowdown in consumer spending, owners find themselves facing an important decision: prioritizing growth or profits.
Major 3PL Geodis has integrated Happy Returns into its Geodis eLogistics fulfillment division, enabling retail and ecommerce clients to extend the service to their end customers, providing another option for returning unwanted items and helping retailers track and manage the flow of returned goods. Retailers can initiate immediate refunds and the service offers box-free, label-free returns.
Expansion of recommerce program will cover entire U.S. by accepting mail-in trade-in starting in late 2023 Dearborn, MI and Brisbane, CA, July 19, 2023 — Following the successful pilot launch of … Continue Reading →
OriginBX, a nonprofit organization looking to standardize how detailed product data is shared for tax and trade compliance in cross-border commerce, including ways to ensure ethical sourcing by avoiding goods produced by forced labor, will soon publish version one of its standards. OriginBX’s initial standard will deal with digital sharing of product details in technology and electronics.
A new study from Ryder System Inc., recommends that retailers pay close attention to their returns policies and management strategies in order to improve customer loyalty. The ninth annual ecommerce … Continue Reading →
Outdoor gear retailer REI has been at the forefront of recommerce, creating a successful channel by viewing returns not as a cost center but a revenue driver. It also helps REI achieve its sustainability goals while also spurring growth. Matthew Bergerson, REI’s DVP of returns and circular economy, talks about the company’s views on reverse logistics, circularity, sustainability and its customer ethos.
3PL Bluegrass Supply Chain has formed a strategic partnership with ReverseLogix, a reverse logistics solution provider. Bluegrass Supply Chain believes the alliance will help them optimize the returns process, reduce … Continue Reading →
It seems like a lifetime ago that U.S. retailer Nordstrom made waves with its “no questions asked” returns policy. There is even an urban legend that one customer returned a … Continue Reading →
With generative AI adoption being so widespread across industries, one key application and business process of the technology near and dear to the hearts of retailers is finding ways to reduce the expense, hassle and poor customer experience of ecommerce returns that grow year after year. Hear how leading retailers are leveraging GenAI and machine learning to reduce returns and boost CX.
With ecommerce returns close to a $1 trillion problem for retailers, companies continue to wrestle with ways to reduce the number of orders getting sent back. In many ways it’s a problem of their own making. Simone Theresa Peinkofer, Associate Professor of Supply Chain Management at Michigan State University, joins our podcast to share her insights on the problem and what’s being done.
The American Circular Textiles Group (ACT), a coalition of apparel brands, recommerce companies and recycling solution providers, is asking the EPA to include textile waste in a draft plan to reduce plastics that was issued for review in April. ACT proposes amendments to current Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) laws to include textiles, and a deposit system like those for bottles and cans.
Canada Goose launched its pioneering recommerce platform, Canada Goose Generations, in its home country late last week. The new platform encourages consumers to participate in the brand’s commitment to environmental … Continue Reading →
Major 3PL Geodis has integrated Happy Returns into its Geodis eLogistics fulfillment division, enabling retail and ecommerce clients to extend the service to their end customers, providing another option for returning unwanted items and helping retailers track and manage the flow of returned goods. Retailers can initiate immediate refunds and the service offers box-free, label-free returns.
Even as more retailers are increasing thresholds for free returns shipping in the face of massive volume and steadily rising costs, 79% of consumers said they’d be more likely to make a repeat purchase from those offering free returns or exchanges, according to a new survey from solution provider Loop. 75% said they expect retailers to make new product suggestions based on their purchase.
Amazon has been quietly growing the volume of orders going out boxless, which the company says represented 11% of items shipped in 2022, a move that some see as a sea change in reducing packaging materials that will be imitated across retail. Amazon customers can choose to add an external “smiley” box at checkout, but boxless is now the default, with more apparently opting for it.
With the opportunity for so much online revenue at stake, it’s critical to delight consumers with optimized ecommerce packaging that delivers products without damage. Packaging enhancements need to go beyond functionality, using materials that can be reused or recycled. This is good for the business and the environment, and increasingly attractive to consumers.
For retailers, sustainability encompasses everything from ethical sourcing and social responsibility on factory labor to environmentally conscious manufacturing processes and reducing the carbon footprint associated with bringing products to market, and all the way to product end-of-life recycling. The reason: consumers have clear ideas about what “sustainability” means when shopping for products.
Omoda, a Dutch-based retailer of premium shoes, wanted to reduce its CO2 footprint and demonstrate a commitment to the environment. Its preexisting process often resulted shipping up to 50% air, which caused a substantial impact on both sustainability and shipping costs. In this Q&A case study, Omoda talks about how Ranpak’s solution helped the retailer achieve its goals.
Sustainability in ecommerce is becoming a big deal (photo credit: 3blmedia) Multichannel Merchant recently sat down with Earnest Sweat, venture partner at GreatPoint Ventures, an early-stage venture capital firm based … Continue Reading →
No one questions the fact that ecommerce packaging waste is a major problem, clogging the planet with yet more plastic and cardboard. The twofold question then becomes, what is being done about it, and what more can be done? This Multichannel Merchant special feature discusses the scope of the issue, and steps that are being taken by retailers, suppliers and governments to reduce the amount of waste.
Multichannel Merchant has launched the first of its Sector Spotlights, which will feature weekly content focused on sustainability and recommerce, helping retail and ecommerce executives gain a better understanding of these important, related trends. Future Spotlights will focus on returns and demand forecasting. Check out our webinar with Brian Kilcourse of RSR Research on consumer attitudes in 2023.
Consumers continue to embrace the ease and convenience of ecommerce, with sales expected to grow 9.4% and cross the $1 trillion mark in 2022, according to Insider Intelligence — and getting packaging right is a major delight factor for them. Here are four ways to make sure your packaging checks all the boxes.
For retailers finding it tricky to navigate consumer expectations and industry legislation on the path to sustainability, there are a few ways to adjust and become greener. Here are some of the sustainable ecommerce initiatives retailers are adopting to protect the environment while presenting new ways to boost revenue.
Focusing on ecommerce sustainability initiatives can help you set your company up for success by focusing on the planet, while also creating more opportunities to boost sales. Therefore, it behooves you to step up your ecommerce sustainability game or risk being overlooked by increasingly values-conscious consumers.
