Helping Online Retailers Create a Seamless Return Process

Posted by Maggie Gallagher on Thu, Feb 10, 2022 @ 01:30 AM

Optoro, a leader in returns technology, partnered with eBay to connect retailers with one of the largest marketplaces in the world to give products a second home through its BULQ® on eBay integration. BULQ on eBay offers customer returns and excess merchandise from top retailers to the eBay seller community, providing sellers with high-quality inventory to support their businesses and keeping these products out of landfills. 

Retailers are facing a surge of returned and excess inventory due to the steady rise of eCommerce. In tandem, customers are becoming increasingly aware of the environmental impact of retail and are making more discerning purchase decisions as a result. 

This is where secondary markets, like BULQ on eBay, provide major value. As eBay’s exclusive wholesale partner, Optoro leverages its relationships with leading retailers and independent sellers to source returned goods and excess inventory, and automatically relist those products on eBay stores.

Since June, eCommerce adoption has only continued to soar, further increasing the demand for secondary markets. BULQ on eBay has helped address this demand while ensuring that retailers have a sustainable outlet for excess inventory. The partnership has also drastically improved resale processes for gig economy workers utilizing BULQ on eBay. Today, the partnership has helped these resellers save up to 50% of their listing time using eBay’s first-of-its-kind relisting solution that provides inventory from big-name retailers like Target.

As categories like rental, refurbishment, and resale continue to grow – and consumers and businesses seek to improve their environmental impact – secondary markets have become a massive opportunity to unlock growth, keep products in circulation longer, and reduce the amount of product that goes to landfill. But, getting products to their next best home is not easy, especially at scale. Retailers struggle with how to resell products and avoid traditional liquidation channels, while resellers struggle with how to find profitable inventory in a repeatable and efficient way.

With BULQ on eBay, retailers keep products in the hands of happy customers, independent sellers have the opportunity to prioritize their families and other important needs, and the environment sees less impact.

Market Performance:

Top Rated: One of eBay's most reputable sellers. Consistently delivers outstanding customer service. 98.6% positive feedback over the last 12 months. 5-star reviews in all four categories on eBay.

Top Customers: Returns from retailers like Target are now being bulk-sold on eBay, where smaller sellers can buy them up and resell them individually (Fast Company).

Small Business Impact: Independent sellers love the product’s inventory and efficiency for helping them streamline their buying process and scale their small businesses. “It’s mind-blowing. I mean, it really changes everything.” – Gina P., BULQ on eBay seller.

Critical Reception:

“To help move all that excess merchandise, Optoro is partnering with eBay, which is no stranger to helping America sell odds and ends online. The deal isn’t designed to let consumers buy individual returned and unsold items directly from stores. Instead, the deal lets individuals and small businesses buy boxes of unsold merchandise from stores through eBay and Bulq, a division of Optoro that handles online bulk liquidation sale, then quickly turn around and relist those items individually on eBay.” – Fast Company

“Together, eBay and Optoro enable retailers to sell returned and excess inventory seamlessly on eBay, and in turn provide an influx of high-demand wholesale inventory for eBay sellers. The two companies leveraged their respective proprietary technologies to make sourcing and reselling on eBay faster and more seamless for sellers, thus accelerating the pace of resale.” – Tamebay

“By transforming sellers’ experience of resale, BULQ is poised to help small businesses grow and thrive.” – Small Business Trends

Customer Satisfaction:

"The product is gaining immediate traction with retailers."

“Returns from retailers like Target are now being bulk-sold on eBay, where smaller sellers can buy them up and resell them individually.” – Fast Company

What sellers are saying:

“The manifests being on eBay are glorious. They just showed the pictures and that made it really nice instead of having to click around.” – Catherine S., BULQ on eBay seller

“The generate drafts feature is AWESOME!” – Sarah L., BULQ on eBay seller

Optoro won the Gold Stevie Award for Best New Product or Service, Business-to-Business Services for their BULQ product in The 2021 International Business Awards. 

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Topics: International business awards, ebay, reselling, optoro