Redesigning a Returns Process to Improve Visibility and Operational Control
Client
Scaling VC-Backed Gym Equipment Supplier · D2C and B2B
The Situation
The business had no documented returns process. Warehouse space was being consumed by unmanaged returns, reporting lacked consistency, and internal operational activity was distorting the true picture of customer returns.
Teams were working hard operationally, but leadership had no reliable visibility into what was being returned, why it was happening or how the process should operate.
What We Did
Conducted a line-by-line analysis of returns activity over a full trading month
Built two operational workflows covering customer-facing returns handling and warehouse receipt processing
Introduced structured reason-code and adjustment-code frameworks
Redesigned operational handling for marketing samples, ex-demo stock and internal returns activity
Results
The project identified major reporting and process weaknesses, including:
37% of returns carrying no reason code
22% categorised as “not suitable — customer”
9% linked to incorrect-item issues driven by SKU management failures
18% of returns activity being generated internally through marketing samples
The business moved from an undocumented process to a live operational workflow with structured reporting and clearer accountability.
Beyond the Numbers
The redesign transformed returns from a reactive operational burden into a measurable process.
For the first time, leadership could connect returns data back to supplier compliance, operational process quality and marketing effectiveness — turning returns into a genuine operational feedback loop rather than simply a warehouse problem.
