returns process for B2C and B2B.
How AGU brought three return flows together in one structured process.
AGU sells outdoor and cycling apparel through its own online store, five major marketplaces, and a B2B channel for dealers. Each channel has its own customers and its own returns process. Instead of managing three separate systems, AGU set everything up through a single Returnless account: separate settings for each channel, but a single overview for the entire team.
Online store, marketplaces, and B2B come together in a single portal, each with its own settings.
Amazon, bol.com, Decathlon, Obelink, and ANWB are all handled correctly from a single overview.
Reasons for returns and patterns by country and channel are visible in a single dashboard.
Consumers in different countries are provided with a returns process in their own language that’s tailored to their country.
short intro.
AGU is a Dutch bicycle brand that began in 1957 as a small supplier of bicycle accessories. Since then, AGU has grown into an international brand offering a wide range of cycling and outdoor apparel, as well as bicycle accessories.
AGU sells through multiple channels: its own online store, major international marketplaces such as Amazon, bol.com, Decathlon, Obelink, and ANWB, and a B2B network of dealers that carry the brand in their stores. This diversity of channels is what makes AGU great, but it also requires a smart approach to operational processes such as returns.
Tech stack:
AGU's sales channels.
AGU sells through three different channels: its own online store, major international marketplaces, and a B2B network of dealers. Each channel has its own customer relationship, financial process, and returns workflow. A consumer who orders through Amazon has different expectations than a dealer submitting a warranty claim. And a return through the online store operates differently than a return through a marketplace.
the success story of AGU.
A returns process for three different sales channels.
For online store returns, AGU handles everything in-house: the assessment, the refund, and the shipping label. For marketplace returns, the financial responsibility lies with the marketplace. AGU manages the logistics and records a credit internally, but the marketplace handles the refund to the consumer itself.
In B2B, the situation is different again. Dealers do not return items the same way consumers do. They report defects, warranty claims, or unsellable inventory through their own portal. These types of returns require a different assessment and a separate processing method, distinct from the consumer return flow.
The team processed returns and warranties from three channels, each with different financial processes and separate administrative workflows. AGU was looking for a way to bring everything together without losing each channel’s unique approach. And specifically for the marketplace flow: returns had to be consolidated into a single system, but handled internally in the correct manner for each platform.
A tailored approach for each channel, integrated with Returnless.
AGU configured all three streams within a single Returnless account. Each stream has its own return policies and settings, but this gives the team a single overview of all return and warranty requests.
Consumers must submit a return using the Returnless return form on agu.com. Returnless validates the order with Magento and, upon approval, processes the refund. Returns submitted after the return period has expired are automatically rejected.
Via the integration with Channable, Returnless collects return requests from all five marketplaces but processes each return in a way that fits that platform. AGU manages the logistics processing through Returnless, while the financial processing is accurately tracked for each marketplace.
Thanks to Returnless’s custom integration capabilities, AGU has built its own B2B workflow. Through an API connection and middleware, return requests from dealers are automatically routed to the correct location within Returnless.
"Returnless has become our central platform for all our returns, from our B2C online store to B2B and marketplaces. Whereas we previously had to issue credits manually for each order, our logistics partner now processes everything from a single platform."
Gavin Appel, E-commerce Manager at AGU
The technical design behind three return flows.
Magento is the operational heart of AGU. Both online store and marketplace orders are linked to Returnless via Magento, each with settings tailored to the financial processing of that channel. Marketplace orders are received via Channable.
The B2B flow is custom-built. Using Returnless’s customized integration capabilities, AGU has built its own workflow for its dealer network. Through middleware from YouWe and Alumio, requests are automatically routed to the correct location in Returnless. DHL handles the shipping labels.
Automatic where possible, manual where necessary.
It’s impossible to manually track the return volume from three channels. AGU uses Automations to streamline processing and immediately highlight exceptions for the team.
Return requests submitted too late are automatically rejected. Requests that do require manual attention are tagged so the team can see exactly what’s waiting without having to go through the entire queue.
Returns that fall outside the return window are automatically rejected. No manual review is required. The system handles it.
Requests that require manual review are automatically tagged. The team can see at a glance what needs to be done.
Warranty claims are always reviewed by a staff member within AGU’s 3-year warranty period.
"Since upgrading to Automate, refunds and customer communications have been automated, and the analytics give us insight into the reasons for returns at the product level. This means we no longer have to manage our return rate blindly; instead, we can optimize our operations in a targeted manner."
Gavin Appel, E-commerce Manager at AGU
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