A company that helps merchants with returns has won the PostalPitch Startup Award. The competition was held at the 8th annual PostalVision 2020 conference this month.
Product returns are costly and frustrating for sellers, and ZigZag Global promises to reduce costs and manage the process for customers.
Here’s how the winning company describes its service:
“ZigZag Global is a software solution to help ecommerce retailers manage returns globally. ZigZag uses predictive analytics to understand the most cost effective and energy efficient route to work out if a retailer should hold and resell returned products in local markets or bring them back via consolidation. Our mission is to help retailers become more sustainable whilst cutting costs by up to 50% and improving the speed of customer refunds by getting stock back in the supply chain more quickly.”
The PostalPitch StartUp competition invited entrepreneurs from all over the world to present their latest ideas, products and solutions to the greater global postal-parcel-logistics-delivery industry at the recent PostalVision event. A jury of industry experts narrowed down the entries to nine finalists who were invited to PostalVision to pitch their solution.
The award criteria was based on innovation, value and impact. The winning solution needed to be able to identify new, so far unmet customer needs with a unique value proposition, good cost – benefit ratio, a robust business model and market entry strategy with significant value proposition.
Founder Al Gerrie accepted the award, and ZigZag has already received offers of partnership from postal providers on the judging panel.
Other PostalPitch Finalists:
Slimbox
Slimbox is a machine that cuts perfectly fitted packaging out of flat sheets of corrugated. You just need to enter the dimensions, select the model of box you like and put a cardboard in the machine.
Upsell Direct
Upsell Direct is a start-up utilizing special tags and patented Near Field Communications (NFC) technology to help retailers/manufacturers create additional opportunities for selling personalized related products after their product has been shipped and received, extending every product’s life cycle and every customer’s initial sales encounter.
PostTag
PostTag directs drivers precisely to the right front door, first time. Without getting lost, without searching for addresses and without darkness slowing them down. PostTag “tags” 3 digits onto the end of a postcode (the British term for zipcode) to make that postcode “front-door accurate”. The postcode gets you to the vicinity, then the PostTag gets you to the right front door.
ODYN
ODYN measures the operational dynamics of customer’s supply chains to identify waste, improve performance, and reduce variability. To achieve cost-effectiveness at scale, we developed a low-cost pallet tracking solution ($5-15 per tracker) that substitutes Cellular and GPS functions of typical asset trackers with Wi-Fi, allowing for both geolocation and communication at a significantly lower price point. This cost reduction allows for integration of other sensors, such as temperature, humidity, and motion, while still keeping unit economics feasible for large-scale deployments.
udelv
udelv has created the world’s first autonomous delivery vehicle. This new technology promises to cut the cost of last-mile deliveries in half. With a customizable cargo space offering a payload capacity of over 700lbs and 18 automated compartments carrying up to 50 grocery bags, this fully electric vehicle is built to improve peoples’ lives by making delivery easier.
Motogo
Motogo is a startup using robotics and autonomous delivery vehicles for secure and efficient, pickup and delivery of goods. Our system enables fully automated shipping and delivery. We employ standardized, secured, intelligent, connected and reusable shipping packages. By using standardized anchor points and anchor point interfaces, packages can be physically secured the entire path, from origin to destination. The system also supports anytime delivery and pick up.
package.ai
At www.package.ai, we’re creating an AI-based platform for automation and optimization of last-mile parcel delivery. Our intelligent software platform enables e-tailers and last-mile delivery operations to enhance the consumer post-purchase experience and gain critical insights without sacrificing operational efficiency. The system autonomously interacting with consumers at every touch-point of the delivery life-cycle, while performing real-time, personalized and predictive cost analysis for delivery times and locations.
The next PostalPitch event will take place in fall 2018 in Europe.
