Manual handling dropped from 17% to 4%

The Challenge

Nelly.com had already taken steps to improve their return process, but inefficiencies were still slowing them down. In Norway, 30% of returns lacked essential information, and too many packages arrived outside the allowed return window. These issues caused delays, added costs, and frustrated customers. To make matters worse, 17% of packages required manual customs checks—costly and time-consuming.

Without proper visibility into order data, refunds were delayed, creating friction for customers and extra work for the team. Nelly.com needed a solution that could simplify their process, reduce costs, and improve the customer experience.

The Solution

Inretrn came in to transform Nelly.com’s returns processes. By focusing on efficiency and control, we implemented:

• Mandatory return reason codes, ensuring all critical information was provided upfront.
• Smart label generation, automatically limiting labels to returns within the allowed time window, preventing unauthorized shipments.
• Customs-friendly scanning, reducing delays and manual checks by providing customs officers in Norway with upfront package content information, eliminating the need to open packages.
• Inretrn’s Freight Optimizer, which automatically downgraded 24% of shipments to cheaper alternatives like Postnord’s varubrev when size and weight allow, saving millions in shipping costs.

With these changes, Nelly.com gained complete visibility over their returns process—from the moment a return was initiated to final resolution.

The Results

The results were quick and impactful.

Manual handlilng such as opening return packages in Norway dropped from 17% to just 4%.

With our Freight Optimizer, Nelly.com saves an average of 25% on shipping costs for each downgraded package, which accounts for 24% of all return shipments.

Return rates saw dramatic improvement year-over-year:

• Q1 2024: -4.4 percentage points compared to 2023
• Q2 2024: -6.7 percentage points compared to 2023
• Q3 2024: -7.2 percentage points compared to 2023

Also, by speeding up refunds, Nelly.com strengthened loyalty among their young audience, turning returns into a chance to impress.

Looking ahead

Nelly.com isn’t stopping here. They’re now using return data to make smarter decisions about product design, stock levels, and supply chain planning—turning a traditionally reactive process into a strategic advantage.

“With Inretrn, we’ve streamlined our process, but the real transformation is just beginning. Returns are no longer a hassle – they’re an asset.”

— Erika Johansson, Returns Manager at Nelly.com