Our SaaS enables (fashion) retailers to directly resell a return item on their own website and have the item shipped from consumer to consumer. The return item skips the warehouse, saving considerable costs, CO2 emissions and product depreciation costs. Next to this novel approach, our USP is calculating the saved CO2 emissions and the optimum discount at which the item is to be re-offered for sale. We wrote an academic paper on our approach and algorithm together with the Erasmus University. Without business-crucial info and we own all IP rights of the algorithm. We’re going live Q2-2024 with Dutch sustainable brand Kuyichi. Next to cost and CO2 savings, our approach gives retailers an alternative in how they process returns, enabling them to improve environmental performances demanded from new EU and national legislation.

Workings – In the retailer’s online return portal, a consumer indicates s/he want to return an item. When the reason (e.g. size is wrong) allows for forwarding and s/he only wants to return one item*, s/he is offered the Return Article Forwarding option. S/he chooses for RAF because 1) its now the free return option, 2) s/he gets a financial reward upon a good review, 3) s/he saves CO2. Via our API, the product is instantly put on re-sale on the retailer’s website, at a discount and CO2 saving. Another consumer buys the item, voluntarily selecting a “forward deal” and pays to the retailer. This emails an anonymous shipping label to the first consumer. S/he has 3 days to post the package. If not, we send a new item from the warehouse. Upon arrival at the buying consumer, we ask for a review. A thumbs-up automatically triggers the refund and a financial reward. A thumbs-down escalates a dispute to customer service.

*So the consumer can use the original packaging

Follow the innovator’s journey through the SoTecIn Factory funding & support programme.