TheIndustry.fashion LIVE! Bleckmann, Beyond Retro and Happy Returns on how waste can be eliminated from the returns process

During TheIndustry.fashion LIVE! ‘Gain a return on returns’ in partnership with Bleckmann yesterday, a crowd of fashion industry professionals spent the day learning about how returns can be transformed from a profit drain to a profit driver.

About 30% of e-commerce fashion orders are returned, according to global strategists Roland Berger, and in 2022 some £7 billion worth of online-purchased fashion was returned by UK consumers. With the true cost of returns estimated to be around £20 for a £30 item, and many returned items ending up in landfill, this is a problem that cannot be ignored. But it’s also a problem that can be turned into a huge growth and efficiency opportunity.

For the second panel of the day, Tamara Zwart, Director of Renewal Operations at Bleckmann was joined by Francesca Sieler, Global Marketing Director at Beyond Retro and Sophie Creamer, Partnerships Director at Happy Returns to discuss how waste can be eliminated from the returns process and the opportunity to re-sell some of the product that comes back to businesses.

Bleckmann specialises in fashion and lifestyle logistics, offering a variety of sustainable solutions to help businesses grow. The company provides its services to a number of well known brands, including Gymshark, Cos and Karl Lagerfeld.

According to Bleckmann, returns do not have to mean end-of-life for a garment. The company believes there is still value in a garment, even one with a fault, once it comes back from a customer and, by recognising this, "brands and retailers can enter the circular economy and drive growth whilst respecting the planet".

Earlier this year, Bleckmann acquired US-based The Renewal Workshop, which works to restore damaged clothing to its former glory. The addition of this service allows Bleckmann to power circular business models for its clients.

Many repairs such as loose buttons, loose hems or even stains can be fixed in the warehouse, with garments then placed back on sale quickly.

“Over 80% of products returned can be renewed and resold. The number one reason people think they can’t renew returns is stains. Stains are harder to deal with, but can often be removed. They're the main issue we're seeing. The second issue is dirt, like hair or dust – those are easy fixes,” Zwart revealed during the panel.

Adding to the discussion, Creamer acknowledged that returns made in-store generally come back a better standard than online returns.

"Fraud drops off a cliff when you’re returning stuff in-store, in terms of stains and things like that. This is because there is a very likely chance that someone is going to call you out. So, we see fraud really fall away when returns are done in-store," she added.

As part of its circular solutions, Bleckmann offers an integrated renewal option for items to be quickly restored to their original condition and put back on sale. For garments that cannot be returned to pristine condition, Bleckmann will renew items as best as possible to be sold in-store or via re-commerce platforms - with any issues being fully communicated with the customers.

Bleckmann also occasionally works with brands to renew items and add value. Speaking on the panel, Zwart reminisced about working with brands like Tommy Hilfiger and The North Face to create limited-edition launches from garments that could not be restored to their original condition but could be made into something special and sold at a higher price or even at auction.

Similar to Bleckmann, vintage fashion retailer Beyond Retro also partners with brands to renew items as a solution to dead stock.

Converse x Beyond Retro footwear collaboration

Founded by Steven Bethell in 2002, Beyond Retro offers a selection of handpicked, pre-loved items to champion sustainability and stop garments from going into landfill. The business has worked with a variety of brands, including Converse and its 'renew shoe'.

"In short, a brand will choose from a variety of post-consumer materials and design a pattern. We then take the post-consumer material and cut the pattern with a zero-waste policy. This is then sent to the brand's partner factory and they create the item," explained Sieler during the event.

"We believe this is the future as a channel for re-manufacturing for brands. This year, we've got some major players in the fashion industry working with us. It's a really incredible proposition and I think that's what makes it unique."

Beyond Retro also creates simple "nip & tuck" pieces like cut-off shorts and shortened dresses, as well as fully-reconstructed bags and jackets to give dead stock another lease of life.

“We don't use the word waste, we see it as value. Our mission is to keep as much in circulation as possible,” emphasised Sieler.

To access more insights from TheIndustry.fashion LIVE! ‘Gain a return on returns’ in partnership with Bleckmann, read about how the Co-founders of Rixo are educating customers to reduce returns.