SITUATION

A top-10 national big-box retailer needed to consolidate returns processing and improve returns management, vendor returns consolidation and liquidation yield.

• They were sorting returns at 450+ store locations, utilizing labor resources across the company’s entire footprint, sending small shipments and single packages to vendors receiving returns.
• The company also wanted better software for returns data visibility to aid forward-focused segments of the company, as well as improved warehouse management.
• Their software at the time was cumbersome and required constant coding changes.

STRATEGY

Inmar Intelligence developed a customized SaaS solution, built to meet the retailer’s specific supply chain infrastructure and vendor interlocks, processing needs and business rules for disposition of returns and overstocks.

RESULTS

• Inmar’s SaaS solution improved data visibility. Enabled data sharing with vendors and let merchandisers see return trends in categories to better inform buying decisions. 
• Moved returns consolidation from back-store at 450+ locations to 13 distribution depots. Saved $4M monthly in store labor and reduced transportation runs.
• Consolidated vendor returns to truckloads vs individual packages. Improved returns recovery through new consolidation fee. Saved vendors time and expense, receiving by truckload vs individual packages from store sort.
• Achieved better shipping and inventory visibility. Enabled shipping to vendors more frequently to improve warehouse space management.