How can we make a profit on returns whilst saving the world?

Dan Seviour
Jun 16, 2022
3 min read

Did you know that at least 30% of all products ordered online are returned? That's a lot of products to try to re-purpose and many end up in landfill. Well, we are trying to do something positive about it - but how?

HOW INDEED?

All great projects normally start with an idea. This is ours! Actually to be accurate ours is more about solving a problem than an idea. We have seen the real ‘fallout’ of managing an Amazon business and the tangible, increasing volume of returned items arising from it in homes, garages, lock-ups, offices and warehouses around the UK.

WE HAVE DONE IT TOO!

Having been Amazon Resellers ourselves we are well aware of the apparent oversight of many sellers in their approach to managing returns. We see mentions of the issues through different forums on a regular basis. Most recently, we have seen returns being referred to as 'the pile of shame' - boxes and discarded deliveries are seemingly put aside to have something done with them at a later time that doesn't always arrive.

CAN WE FIX IT?

So we have identified a problem - too many returns - and we have set out to find a solution. We also have a few assumptions which form the basis of our project and we aim to prove or disprove as we move through the key stages.

OUR ASSUMPTIONS

Amazon sellers are leaving money on the table (or literally pushing it over a cliff edge) in not having effective, timely ways of managing their returns
We think we can find a way of helping sellers to get a better return on original investment by offering quick, easy options
We believe we can find ways of salvaging rather than destroying or adding to the mountain of plastics/waste and landfills (some interesting statistics below)
We believe that we can create a profitable business based on this waste.

The concept may not be new but we aspire to create unique solutions that address these issues so we don't have to keep returning to returns!

WANT TO GET INVOLVED?

The project kick-started only recently with a couple of great volunteer 7 figure Amazon sellers, offering their own ‘returns’ and a chance for us to test processes, identify the scope of the project and start to form possible avenues for monetising everything.

We would also like to have a good understanding of the situation within our UK sellers communities - how you currently manage your returns (or don’t) - and will be asking you to participate in a survey (anonymously) to aid with this. Ideally this will run for a couple of months to help capture a good aggregate of people.

We will be sharing results, insights and case studies as part of our ongoing process. Please register your interest below to receive updates.

Exciting times and, we believe, an important subject to tackle.

Ultimately this is about helping to negate our impact on Climate Change for generations to come. We have a vested interest in making a viable business out of other people’s leftovers.

We’ve shared with you some of the interesting elements of our initial research of the problem. Much focuses on the US markets which is to be expected considering the size. However, it is a global trend. We particularly liked this insightful infographic.

We also like the insights provided by IBM on a change in consumer perspective.