Auctane adds another e-commerce tool with Return Rabbit

Shipping and fulfillment software vendor Auctane has added another capability to its toolbox by acquiring Return Rabbit, a firm that makes a returns management platform that it says can help retailers retain revenue through exchanges.

Austin, Texas-based Auctane is the firm formerly known as Stamps.com that was purchased in 2021 by the investment firm Thoma Bravo LLC for $6.6 billion as a holding company for a collection of shipping software providers including ShipStation, ShippingEasy, ShipEngine, ShipWorks, Metapack, and Endicia.

Auctane continued to evolve when it announced just three weeks ago that Albert Ko would become its new CEO on June 12, succeeding Nathan Jones. Ko had previously been CEO of Early Warning Services (EWS), which is best known for producing the Zelle payments network.

In his second day on the job, Ko presided over the Auctane’s latest acquisition. Terms of the deal were not disclosed, but the company said that the move will complement its portfolio of multi-carrier shipping solutions by equipping e-commerce merchants with an intuitive, adaptable returns management offering.

“In today’s ecommerce landscape, virtually every merchant has to grapple with how to handle customer returns, and the stakes are high,” Ko said in a release. “The analytics and exchange-focused approach that Return Rabbit brings to the conversation empowers merchants to make smart decisions about this critical part of the delivery experience.”

Launched in 2021 with venture capital backing, Ann Arbor, Michigan-based Return Rabbit has become a returns and exchanges management solution for many Shopify sellers. It offers full-catalog exchanges, custom return reasons, and deep reporting functionality, and says that its enterprise-grade analytics allow small and mid-sized merchants to better understand the reason their customers make returns and offer smart suggestions for exchanges that help preserve sales.