Ep. 79: From Landfill to Goldmine - How Shopify Sellers Flip Returns into Pure Profit with ReturnBear (w/Katherine Lehman)

In this episode of The Future of BizTech, host JC Granger sits down with Katherine Lehman, Chief Marketing Officer at ReturnBear — the logistics innovator helping e-commerce brands turn costly returns into profitable, planet-friendly opportunities.

ReturnBear goes beyond traditional return portals by combining software with its own logistics network, allowing brands to resell returned items locally instead of shipping them back overseas. With clients ranging from Shopify merchants to major brands like Skims, ReturnBear is cutting costs, reducing fraud, speeding up inventory turnover, and slashing emissions — all while giving consumers a smoother return experience.

The conversation explores ReturnBear’s unique model that solves the messy, expensive challenges of cross-border returns, why forward fulfillment is changing the game for e-commerce logistics, and how the company is helping brands compete with Amazon-level convenience while avoiding landfill waste. Katherine also shares behind-the-scenes insights on scaling ReturnBear’s operations across multiple countries and why sustainability, profit, and customer experience no longer have to be at odds.

If you’re curious about the future of e-commerce logistics, sustainable retail, or how brands can make returns work for their bottom line, this episode is a must-listen.