How GoBolt achieved a 95% restock rate and increased revenue with Two Boxes

About

GoBolt is a tech-enabled 3PL provider with fulfillment centers and last-mile hubs across North America. Along with storing, packing, and shipping products, they offer last-mile delivery services to brands, including installation for furniture, fitness equipment, and appliances in customer homes. They aim to fulfill as many orders as possible using their electric delivery vehicles.

The Challenge

Like most 3PLs, GoBolt was faced with an inefficient approach to returns processing 

As ecommerce sales began to cool post-pandemic, many brands experienced an increased volume of returns that threatened their bottom line. Most of their 3PL partners had returns piled up in a dusty corner of a warehouse. 

Jarrett Stewart, Senior Vice President of Commercial at GoBolt, saw this as an opportunity. Because most 3PLs on the market struggled with returns, he knew processing returns more efficiently would be a lucrative value-added service for their partner brands.

But restocking returns is easier said than done. Jarrett set out to find a returns processing partner that could solve four challenges:

• Eliminate internal tools: GoBolt usually created its own internal tools. However, integrating with existing returns software required extensive engineering, which increased costs significantly. 

• Improve team efficiency: Jarrett says only a few people handled returns, which limited their returns processing when either went on leave. The team wanted more employees to learn how to handle returns quickly for multiple brands.

• Track the entire returns process: Their team needed a way to track the differences in labor associated with returns. For instance, unopened products could go right back on the shelf, but gently used products needed some TLC before returning to inventory.

• Speed up returns processing: To keep customers happy, brands generally process refunds before checking returns. But giving refunds immediately can incur losses, especially if the return is fraudulent.

Jarrett knew that if he could solve these challenges, the 3PL could process returns at scale and cut costs.

The Solution

Two Boxes transformed GoBolt’s returns into a core differentiator

Jarrett began researching different returns processing software and quickly found Two Boxes. “Two Boxes was the only software we considered,” he explains. “They just made it so easy to solve our problems.”

With Two Boxes, GoBolt reshaped its entire returns process, creating a more streamlined and cost-effective structure.

• Native integrations with returns platforms saved engineering costs: Two Boxes already integrated with returns software like Loop and Happy Returns. So GoBolt only had to integrate Two Boxes with their warehouse management software, and the latter would manage all the other integrations, saving engineers from needing to manage them internally.

• Digitized SOPs made it easy to train staff and better utilize labor: With Two Boxes, GoBolt created digitized SOPs for handling returns and turned them into workflows customized for each client. Now, employees simply have to scan a return, follow the instructions, and tick items off a checklist. This simple change made it easier to train employees on returns and re-shelving items. 

• Tracking value-added services increased returns revenue: With Two Boxes, GoBolt tracks each step that’s taken for a return, such as cleaning a shoe before returning it to inventory. This allows them to easily bill for all the little things they do to restock returned products. 

• Faster returns processing enabled brands to track frauds: Thanks to Two Boxes, GoBolt gave brands a two-day SLA for returns processing. This means GoBolt only needs 48 hours to check if a return is genuine or simply a bag of feathers, helping brands save money on fake returns. 

Jarrett was astounded by the new process. After their overhaul with Two Boxes, his team returned more items to the shelf, identified cases of returns fraud, and created a returns offering that few 3PLs on the market had.

The Results

A more efficient returns process increased returns revenue by 15%

Today, returns processing is a core part of GoBolt's fulfillment sales pitch and RFP responses. Jarret says word-of-mouth in the DTC community has led many brands to use them exclusively for processing returns. 

This has produced some stellar outcomes: 

• 15% increase in returns revenue 

• 95% restock rate 

• 100% tracking of line-item returns data

Ready to let returns grow your business?

At Two Boxes, we make returns an asset instead of a liability. Book a demo today and get started!