How Allbirds created smooth returns on Shopify with ReBound x Loop

Allbirds is a leading player in eco-conscious fashion, selling millions of their sustainable footwear products since their inception in San Francisco in 2016. 

As a company focused on minimising their carbon footprint, they know how important it is to get their returns process right. But with a strong focus on customer experience, they need to choose the right partners – to deliver the best returns experience, while preserving the sustainable values at the core of their mission. 

Seamless returns process and integration with their Shopify store 

Allbirds built their ecommerce store on Shopify, giving them a secure and user-friendly platform to create the best experience for their customers shopping online. 

But a Shopify-built store also gave them flexibility – opening new options for integrated returns apps that could expand on the standard features of the platform. 

With a returns portal powered by Loop (and seamlessly integrated with ReBound’s returns management system), Allbirds UK were able to give full ownership to ReBound over the first-mile journey of their reverse logistics. 

For Allbirds, that meant: 

• Better visibility on the parcels coming back 

• Helping their warehouse teams predict the volume of incoming products 

• Early inspections of returned parcels – to identify mistakes and prevent fraud. 

“Shopify works really well for us, and the integration between Shopify and Loop/ReBound is very good. 

The main benefit with ReBound now is that they own the first mile from the customer to their hub, and then consolidate the parcels for us. 

It’s easy to keep track of the whole chain, and give clear instructions to our warehouse teams – it’s a smooth process and it works well for us.” – Stef Elliott, Senior Supply Chain Manager at Allbirds UK 

Customers love their paperless returns 

Allbirds has also used ReBound to start giving their customers more return options – adding QR code returns on top of their existing printed return slips with Royal Mail. 

For a brand with strong goals around their environmental impact, this new paperless option was a perfect fit for Allbirds. But it was also a huge positive for their customers: 

After making the change to add paperless returns, they were seeing as much as 70% of their returns coming back with a QR code (instead of the typical print-at-home option). 

“We implemented the QR code last year with ReBound’s help, and that’s had a huge impact on our customer experience. 

 Before, customers had to have a printer at home, and it wasn’t a very good experience for them. Now, customers really like having the choice, and that’s been really helpful.” 

An integrated portal for full visibility 

With ReBound handling the first-mile logistics, Allbirds opted for a returns portal from Loop – which seamlessly integrates with the ReBound system to give them advanced tracking and clear analytical insights. 

For Allbirds, that means: 

• A clear overview of the status of their returns 

• Early alerts for returned products – before they arrive at the warehouse 

• Easy access to raw data – that they can take over to other apps and reports. 

“We use the Rebound dashboards, which give you really good visibility – for every parcel, you can see what stage it’s at. 

 I can get reports right there, or just pull the data to where I need it.” 

What’s next for Allbirds? 

With a collaborative returns setup that’s running smoothly, Allbirds are continuing to do what they do best – creating the right customer experience throughout their returns journey, and partnering with non-profits like Soles4Souls to extend the life of their sustainable footwear and keep their natural materials in the circular economy.

Contributor acknowledgement Stef Elliott, Senior Supply Chain Manager at Allbirds UK