Blue Yonder, a wholly owned subsidiary of Panasonic Connect and a leading provider of end-to-end digital supply chain transformation solutions, announced on August 20th that it had acquired Optoro, Inc., a technology provider of return solutions, on August 19th U.S. time.
Blue Yonder is enhancing its return management capabilities and beginning to offer a more robust and comprehensive solution.
Product returns not only create friction for consumers and negatively impact companies' profit margins, but also cause significant inefficiencies in inventory utilization throughout the supply chain. Processing returns, particularly in warehouses and stores, is one of the most complex parts of the return lifecycle, with £95 billion (approximately 4.39 billion kilograms) of returns currently ending up in landfills each year.
Blue Yonder recognized Optoro's powerful returns processing capabilities for large retailers and brands dealing with high volumes of returns, and used it as a means to enhance its capabilities in this area. The integration of Optoro and Blue Yonder's solutions will give retailers, brands, and logistics service providers (LSPs) access to a comprehensive end-to-end returns management solution, enabling them to streamline services, reduce waste, and improve visibility.
By combining Optoro's capabilities with Blue Yonder's existing returns management solution from a previous acquisition (Doddle), Blue Yonder will be able to offer a variety of value to its customers.
Specifically, the "Enterprise-Grade Returns Processing" adds cloud-native, mature, and feature-rich returns processing and sorting capabilities to enhance returns processing at warehouses and stores. This completes the cyclical flow of returned goods.
The "Dedicated Returns Facility" initiative will enable retailers, brands, and logistics service providers (LSPs) to efficiently operate dedicated returns facilities, improving operational flexibility and efficiency.
In "in-store returns," the store app speeds up the return process, automates inventory allocation to optimize collection, and maximizes profits. By encouraging returning customers to visit the store, it creates opportunities for increased revenue through resale and attracts valuable customers who may make new purchases.
In addition, features such as "recommerce functionality" and "next-generation return management" can also be implemented.
Blue Yonder continues to build more sustainable and profitable end-to-end supply chains as the only company with a comprehensive solutions portfolio from planning and execution to fulfillment and returns. This transaction marks Blue Yonder's sixth acquisition in just under two years and demonstrates the momentum of its growth in the supply chain management (SCM) sector. The company says this acquisition will allow it to continue to leverage its strengths in the retail and logistics industries.
