Built Different and LiquiDonate Partner to Revolutionize Customer Returns

Overview 

Built Different, a men’s apparel brand specializing in tees for taller and larger sizes, operates out of central England and serves customers across the US, UK, and Europe. To streamline its customer returns process and enhance sustainability impact, Built Different partners with LiquiDonate through our Magic Matches solution, a service that routes customer returns directly to nearby nonprofits. In a few short months, Magic Matches reduced shipping costs by 26% and reduced shipping distances by ~1,300 miles on average. This innovative approach eliminates costly and wasteful return-to-warehouse practices, aligning with Built Different’s goals of reducing its operational costs and environmental impact.

The Challenge

Customer returns present a significant logistical and financial burden for Built Different. As an international brand with limited warehouse locations, returns are often shipped thousands of miles back to a centralized warehouse. The additional costs for shipping, handling, and storage for returns often results in a net loss even after a new sale. Inefficient routing back to a single warehouse incurs high shipping costs and high transportation emissions, resulting in wasted resources especially for items that cannot be resold.  With operations spanning multiple countries, managing reverse logistics and minimizing waste was an ongoing challenge.

The Solution

LiquiDonate’s Magic Matches solution transforms Built Different’s approach to customer returns by routing returned items directly to nearby nonprofits instead of back to warehouses. 

Key features of the Magic Matches solution include:

1. Direct Nonprofit Delivery: Returns bypass the warehouse entirely and are sent directly to nonprofits in close proximity to the customer.
2. Algorithmic Matching: Magic Matches prioritizes local nonprofits, reducing shipping costs and emissions while ensuring donations make an immediate impact in nearby communities.
3. Cost Savings: By skipping warehouse processing and transit fees, Built Different saves significantly on every return shipment.

This approach allows Built Different to maintain its customer-friendly return policy—critical for building brand loyalty—while minimizing financial losses and reducing its environmental footprint.

The Results

From May 2024 to December 2024, LiquiDonate’s Magic Matches solution delivered remarkable results for Built Different’s top three states in sales and return volumes: California, Texas, and Florida. Significant savings resulted by routing 641 returns to a local nonprofit instead of a single contracted warehouse location in Ohio.

California

• Return to warehouse – Average Shipping Label Cost: $10.61
• Magic Matches – Average Shipping Label Cost: $6.44
• Percent Difference: 39.4% reduction in costs
• Highest Reduction in Cost: $8.06
• Average Reduction in Miles per Shipment: 2,157.84 miles
• Highest Reduction in Miles: 2,461.63 miles

Texas

• Return to warehouse – Average Shipping Label Cost: $8.09
• Magic Matches – Average Shipping Label Cost: $6.50
• Percent Difference: 19.6% reduction in costs
• Highest Reduction in Cost: $4.66
• Average Reduction in Miles per Shipment: 924.10 miles
• Highest Reduction in Miles: 1,488.89 miles

Florida

• Return to warehouse – Average Shipping Label Cost: $7.74
• Magic Matches – Average Shipping Label Cost: $6.49
• Percent Difference: 16.2% reduction in costs
• Highest Reduction in Cost: $3.95
• Average Reduction in Miles per Shipment: 825.45 miles
• Highest Reduction in Miles: 1,111.53 miles

Combined

• Return to warehouse – Average Shipping Label Cost: $8.81
• Magic Matches – Average Shipping Label Cost: $6.48
• Percent Difference: 26.1% reduction in costs
• Highest Reduction in Cost: $5.56
• Average Reduction in Miles per Shipment: 1302.46 miles‍

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Overall, Built Different greatly lowered its costs and emissions while increasing its community impact by donating returns to nonprofits rather than incurring losses through warehouse storage and eventual disposal.

Conclusion

Built Different’s partnership with LiquiDonate exemplifies the power of innovative logistics solutions to transform business challenges into meaningful opportunities. By adopting Magic Matches, Built Different reduces costs, minimizes waste, and enhances its sustainability practices while maintaining customer satisfaction. This collaboration demonstrates how forward-thinking brands can leverage technology to achieve operational efficiency, environmental responsibility, and social impact, setting a new standard for handling customer returns.