TORONTO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Today, ReturnBear, Canada’s first end-to-end returns solution, announces a national expansion with convenient new package-free drop off locations, enhanced product offerings, and new merchant partners. Backed by Cadillac Fairview (CF) and the Ontario Teachers’ Pension Plan, ReturnBear now has a presence in premier Cadillac Fairview malls in Ontario, Quebec, Alberta, British Columbia, and Manitoba. ReturnBear's SaaS solution has been updated to include a merchant admin app to manage return operations, analytics to monitor return trends, a consumer experience designed to make self-serve returns quick and convenient, and a tablet application for ReturnBear kiosk staff to efficiently accept returns and process exchanges, refunds or store credit.
The expansion comes in tandem with ReturnBear adding new retailers to its merchant-base, including Mint Green Group (home to household brands like K-Swiss), Franc, California Cowboy and Numi.
“The growth of e-commerce has spotlighted one of online retail’s biggest problems: returns. More online shopping means more online returns. Returns are costly for merchants and a hassle for customers, and up until now there has been no streamlined process to make this easier for Canadians,” said Sylvia Ng, CEO of ReturnBear. “We are on a mission to make retail returns easy and accessible for everyone. We are proud to expand ReturnBear and provide a cross-country solution for Canadian retailers and shoppers alike.”
As a former General Manager at Shopify, Sylvia is keenly aware of this problem in the Canadian e-commerce space and is dedicated to solving it. ReturnBear simplifies the end-to-end return experience by streamlining the process for retailers, providing a one-stop solution where shoppers can drop off their returns without printing labels, repacking their products, or having to wait in line at a post office. ReturnBear's software is integrated into the merchant's website, providing a self-serve experience for customers to initiate returns and exchanges, and choose the drop-off or mail-in option for their return that is most convenient to them.
“When we announced our partnership with ReturnBear last year, we knew Canadians would respond positively to the unique, multi-retailer return offering,” said Jose Ribau, Executive Vice President, Digital and Innovation at Cadillac Fairview. “We recognize shoppers' pain points when it comes to online returns and are prioritizing convenience through national expansion across our CF properties, as well as support for retailers by reducing reverse logistics costs and operational challenges when it comes to returns. It’s a win-win for everyone.”
This is an exciting time for Canadian retailers, particularly as online sales continue to skyrocket. eCommerce sales in Canada are set to reach $79.80 billion in 2022, up from 10 per cent year over year1. Manny Alamwala, Director of eCommerce at Mint Green Group, adds, “Mint Green Group has been driving brand growth in the Canadian market for 40+ years now, and delivering great customer experiences is always top of mind for us. We connect global brands like '47 and Palladium to Canadian consumers in ways they want to be reached, and we're excited to offer more convenient, cost effective and environmentally friendly returns to those customers through our forthcoming rollout with ReturnBear.”
ReturnBear brings a true end-to-end returns solution to the Canadian market. Human-centered brands like California Cowboy, which recently launched in Canada, have partnered with ReturnBear to ensure their customers have the most convenient options when it comes to handling exchanges or returns.
Merchants that use ReturnBear can offer a self-serve return and exchange experience to their retail customers, providing an automated return process that is consistent with existing in-store and eCommerce practices, and the convenience of packaging-free drop-off options. ReturnBear's hands-on item quality control, repacking, and batch shipping ensure that products get back into forward supply faster – saving brands money, and reducing the risk of product waste. With features that include store credit bonuses, the ability to create custom return rules, and analytics that help retailers identify patterns and opportunities for improvements, ReturnBear removes manual intervention from merchants' online returns operations, and helps them bring more convenient experiences to their customers.
Canadians can now find ReturnBear in the following CF locations:
Ontario
- CF Toronto Eaton Centre
- CF Fairview Mall
- CF Sherway Gardens
- CF Fairview Park
Quebec
- CF Carrefour Laval
- CF Promenade St Bruno
Alberta
- CF Chinook Centre
British Columbia
- CF Pacific Centre
- CF Richmond Centre
Manitoba
- CF Polo Park
Learn how to make returns more convenient and cost-effective at www.returnbear.com.
About ReturnBear
Founded in October 2021 with a mission to make retail returns accessible for everyone, and better for the planet, ReturnBear is Canada’s first end-to-end returns solution. Merchants using ReturnBear can now offer self-serve exchanges and returns to their Canadian customers, along with convenient package-free drop-off options across the country. They can count on ReturnBear’s item QA and processing to get products back into forward-supply faster, and can optimize returns and exchanges with advanced automations and analytics.
Backed by Cadillac Fairview and the Ontario Teachers' Pension Plan, ReturnBear is a modern solution that makes eCommerce exchanges and returns delightful for consumers, and more efficient for retailers by reducing the cost and complexity of their reverse logistics.
For more information, visit https://www.returnbear.com
1 https://www.emarketer.com/content/canada-s-ecommerce-sales-reach-nearly-80-billion-2022
