Dive Brief:
- DHL Supply Chain acquired Inmar Supply Chain Solutions in a move to improve and grow its reverse logistics services, according to a Jan. 10 press release.
- The deal helps DHL Supply Chain strengthen its returns capabilities, such as product remarketing, recall management and supply chain performance analytics, according to the release.
- DHL Supply Chain will gain 14 return centers and about 800 associates through the deal. The addition will support its current footprint of 520 warehouses and 52,000 associates in North America, according to the release.
Dive Insight:
Inmar Supply Chain Solutions, a division of Inmar Intelligence, offers return solutions for the retail e-commerce industry. DHL Supply Chain said the acquisition will significantly increase its reverse logistics capacity and solution offerings in North America.
Reverse logistics involves collecting, sorting, repairing and refurbishing of products for resale or recycling. Everything that happens after a sale is an aspect of reverse logistics, according to the Reverse Logistics Association. The retail industry expected consumers to return $890 billion worth of merchandise in 2024, according to the National Retail Federation.
“In the light of a rapidly growing e-commerce market and changing consumer behavior, returns are an increasingly important touchpoint for retail customers, both in store and online,” DHL Supply Chain said in the release.
Before the acquisition, DHL Supply Chain offered returns processing solutions such as inspection, grading, refurbishment, and disposition of products, Drew Taranto, VP of eCommerce for DHL Supply Chain, said in an email. With Inmar Supply Chain Solutions, the company will have new offerings such as recall management set to help retailers and manufacturers manage recalls with product retrieval, disposition and tracking and reporting.
DHL Supply Chain expects the move to help customers streamline their operations, reduce complexity and improve their overall supply chain efficiency, Patrick Kelleher, CEO of DHL Supply Chain in North America, said in the release.
“This acquisition strengthens our existing capabilities, allowing us to offer our customers a single-source solution for their entire supply chain, including the critical and complex area of returns management,” Kelleher added.
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