 | |
| Company type | Private |
|---|---|
| Industry | Product return Logistics E-commerce Shopping |
| Founded | 2015 |
| Headquarters | Los Angeles, CA, U.S. |
Area served | United States |
Key people | David Sobie, CEO Mark Geller, COO Andrew Pease, CFO |
| Website | www |
Happy Returns is a Los Angeles-based software and reverse logistics company that works with online merchants to handle product returns. Purchased items can be returned in person without boxes or labels at thousands of third-party locations in the United States. Locations which facilitate product returns are referred to as “Return Bars.” Among these are FedEx, Cost Plus World Market, and Paper Source stores[1], with specific locations searchable on Happy Returns’ website. Consumers can receive their refunds without packaging their items, printing and affixing labels, or waiting for mailed packages to reach their destinations.[2]
The company facilitates returns for many brands, both brick-and-mortar and direct-to-consumer merchants, including Levi's, Revolve, Rothy's, Everlane, Steve Madden, Gymshark.[3] E-commerce conglomerate, Amazon, later developed a similar program in conjunction with Kohl’s stores to accommodate its shoppers.[2]
Happy Returns aggregates and ships returns inside reusable packaging from its Return Bar locations to warehouse hubs, where returns are sorted, processed, and dispositioned, and then bulk shipped back to merchant warehouses.
History edit
David Sobie and Mark Geller co-founded Happy Returns in July 2015. The two met at NordstromRack.com/HauteLook, where they created and launched a similar program enabling shoppers to return online purchases to physical stores. Happy Returns opened its first Return Bar location in April 2016.[4]
In June 2021, Happy Returns was acquired by PayPal to expand its post-purchase product offerings. In September 2021, Staples retail locations in the U.S. began serving as Return Bars.
Sustainability edit
Many brands are trying to reduce their carbon footprints and are looking for ways to do this using technology.[1] By bulk-shipping commingled returns in reusable packaging from Return Bar locations to warehouse hubs, greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions are reduced by an estimated 120,000 lbs for every one million returns, addressing the sustainability goals of many retail customers.[5][6] Waste is reduced because shoppers do not need to use a new box to ship out returns.[7][8]
References edit
- ^ a b "How e-commerce brands can scale logistics sustainably". Vogue Business. 2021.
- ^ a b Del Rey, Jason (2020). "Online shopping is booming but so are returns. An old-school solution is gaining steam". Vox.
- ^ D'Innocenzio, Anne (2020). "Retailers brace for flood of returns from online shopping". AP News.
- ^ Rogers, Kate (2017). "A start-up's plan to take the headache out of online refunds". CNBC.
- ^ Mui, Wilton (2018). "Reducing Greenhouse Gas Emissions Through Consolidated Returns Shipments: A Retail Study" (PDF).
- ^ "PayPal's Happy Returns Partners with Staples US Retail to Expand Its Network of Return Bar Locations". PR Newswire. 2021.
- ^ Benveniste, Alexis (2020). "Soon FedEx won't require boxes and labels when you make some returns". CNN Business.
- ^ Mull, Amanda (2021). "The Nasty Logistics of Returning Your Too-Small Pants". The Atlantic.