Pitney Bowes partners with British returns specialist for cross-border e-commerce

Shipping technology specialist Pitney Bowes said today it has partnered with the U.K.-based returns specialist ReBound Returns to provide retail brands worldwide with fast, international parcel return service.

According to the deal, Telford, Shropshire-based ReBound will leverage Pitney Bowes' U.S. transportation and logistics network to process returns for its 500-plus retail clients in Europe, the Middle East, and Africa (EMEA). Conversely, Pitney Bowes will leverage ReBound's data-driven platform and multi-carrier shipping technology to support cross-border returns for Pitney Bowes' 250-plus cross-border retail clients across the U.S., Canada, U.K., and Asia-Pacific (APAC).

The move is Stamford, Ct.-based Pitney Bowes' latest effort to grow its e-commerce fulfillment, delivery, and returns practices since it acquired Newgistics Inc., a provider of reverse and forward parcel shipping services, for about $475 million in 2017. Pitney Bowes had also expanded its retail e-commerce and omnichannel capabilities when it acquired the software firm Enroute Systems Corp. in 2016.

Following those deals, Pitney Bowes now processes nearly 50 percent of all Parcel Returns Service (PRS) packages shipped through the U.S. Postal Service, using its fulfillment, delivery, and returns network of 13 operating centers and a national transportation network of more than 50 partners.

Building a deal with ReBound extends that capability at a time when modern consumers are demanding convenient returns experiences and refund processes, the partners said. "This partnership brings together two leaders in e-commerce logistics services to deliver a world class returns process for hundreds of global retailers and their customers," Lila Snyder, EVP and President, Pitney Bowes Commerce Services, said in a release. "By linking our networks, Pitney Bowes and ReBound will expand our collective returns footprint and capabilities, offering a seamless international service for e-commerce retailers and consumers."