Renow’s AI-powered recommerce platform brought financial benefits and happier employees to telecom operator DNA
DNA was looking for the most advanced recommerce partner on the market and chose to outsource a large part of its returns process to the Renow platform. The previously resource-heavy process became faster and more efficient, delivering clear benefits for DNA, its employees, and the environment.
The Challenge
DNA’s time-consuming and inefficient return logistics required streamlining. Previously, returned phones and tablets that had been opened were primarily offered to DNA employees through a complex sales process based on spreadsheets and emails, with no granularity on pricing. Products that didn’t sell internally were stored on auction pallets. Bookkeeping for the pallets created significant manual work without adding value.
Once the pallets were full, they were auctioned off in bulk to subcontractors a few times a year. Items requiring cleaning, such as headphones and smartwatches, also ended up directly on the auction pallets. This reduced the scope and appeal of the employee benefit program and lowered revenue from returned products.
The Solution
Technology startup Renow took over the resale and logistics process for DNA’s returned products. Now, DNA inspects and grades all opened returned items using the AI-powered Renow Inspection app, following the platform’s step-by-step inspection guidelines. The products are then cleaned and resold through Renow’s own recommerce marketplace.
DNA employees can purchase inspected return products at a staff discount. Products that don’t sell internally become available to all Renow’s customers, ensuring that every item quickly finds a new home without unnecessary warehouse transfers.
The grading process enables tiered pricing, which has also brought financial benefits to DNA: by using the Renow platform, the company now gets a better price for products that are in great condition. In addition, thanks to the platform’s inspection instructions and product cleaning process,even hygiene products can now be resold to staff. This has increased both employee satisfaction and engagement with the company’s benefits program.
Renow manages the entire sales process for returned products from start to finish, including potential consumer issues and warranty claims in compliance with consumer protection laws. DNA, in turn, receives immediate revenue from its return products. The process and platform has optimized and streamlined DNA’s logistics operations and shortened warehouse turnover times from months to days.
Customer feedback
“At DNA, we had grown tired of our old setup: auction pallets were inefficient, and internal sales was clunky. By optimizing our returns logistics together with Renow, we’ve not only reduced our own workload but also made our employee benefit program more attractive and increased the revenue we generate from returned products.
The entire project with Renow was agile, fast, and tailored to our needs – we were on the same page from the very beginning. Our wishes were carefully listened to from the contract phase through to implementation, and the result is a solution our entire organization is genuinely happy with.
The turnover time for returned products dropped from months to days. It also aligns perfectly with our sustainability principles as almost all functional return products now quickly find a new home instead of gathering dust in storage or ending up as waste.”
– Mikko Lampinen, Head of Logistics, DNA
Are you interested in optimizing your own returns process? Let’s talk and explore how Renow can help you accelerate resale and boost your circular economy. Book a call here.
About Renow
Renow is an AI-based recommerce startup that has created a unique way to build marketplace supply. Renow disrupts the supply chain through virtual warehouses and a grading engine offered with a freemium model for retailers and 3PLs. For consumers, Renow offers high-quality 2nd-cycle products from top brands at discounted prices. Renow’s vision is to make recommerce mainstream and decrease waste.
