The Canadian e-commerce returns specialist ReturnBear will expand its reverse logistics operations into the U.K. market next month, saying it can help retailers handle cross-border returns and emphasize cost savings, customer convenience, and sustainability.
The move comes as global cross-border e-commerce is growing at double the rate of domestic e-commerce, the Toronto-based startup said. To meet that need, ReturnBear’s platform provides automated self-serve returns and optimized logistics strategies like consolidated cross-border brand shipments.
The firm’s network gives brands access to package-free, label-free, instant refund locations, backed by human return verification to protect retailers from returns fraud. Starting with 10 locations in Canada in 2022, ReturnBear has expanded to offer brands access to more than 1,000 Canadian locations, with two processing hubs in Canada and the U.S. The latest network expansion will now allow ReturnBear to provide the same customer convenience and brand profitability improvements in the U.K. market.
“Merchants can easily sell in a hundred countries overnight using global selling platforms. But there is no easy way to get returns back. Our expansion into the UK market is part of our vision to be the first global end-to-end platform for single-day returns," Sylvia Ng, CEO of ReturnBear, said in a release. “Consumers check for convenient returns before buying, and merchants must meet consumers' expectations to grow in local markets. ReturnBear provides a simple way to do that.”
Founded in 2021, ReturnBear is backed by Cadillac Fairview (CF) and Koru, a venture foundry that builds new businesses to drive disruptive growth for Ontario Teachers’ Pension Plan portfolio companies.
