Your returns don't belong in your warehouse.
Forwarding reroutes returns directly from the customer who sent them back to the next customer who wants them. No warehouse step. No repackaging. No depreciation.
Working with
Active engagements across live operations and integration. See cases for status →
The problem
Returns are an industry-wide problem.
Four in ten fashion items come back. Most make a wasteful round-trip before being resold. The financial, environmental, and regulatory costs are compounding fast, and the EU is tightening the rules in 2026.
How it works
Three steps to lower returns costs
Plug in
Install the plugin on Shopify, Magento, BigCommerce, Salesforce Commerce Cloud or use the REST API. Live within a week.
Match
When a consumer returns an item, our algorithm matches it with an incoming order for the same product. Often instant at high volume.
Save
Retailers save €5 to €12 per Forward, cut 310g of CO₂, and pay only when a Forward is actually sold.
The evidence
Why Forwarding works.
The math works. We published it.
Our matching algorithm decides when a Forward is better than a warehouse return and sets the discount automatically. It only triggers when the math is in your favour. The methodology has been independently validated and published.
Your customers actually want this.
43% of Kuyichi's customers chose Forwarding over warehouse return in month one. 65% of buyers chose the Forward option at checkout. 4.8/5 buyer satisfaction. Live data, not projections.
Real environmental impact, measured per transaction
Every Forward eliminates a warehouse round-trip and the emissions that come with it. We calculate the saving per transaction, ISO-standard and independently auditable. No offsets, no marketing maths: ready for CSRD reporting and for your own conscience.
For your customers
Give customers an environmental and affordable option
Shoppers want to do the right thing. With Forwarding, they choose to send returns directly to a new buyer instead of back to the warehouse. It costs you less and feels good to them.
- 65% of buyers choose Forward when offered it at checkout
- 4.8/5 buyer satisfaction rating on Forwarded purchases
- Live client data, Kuyichi 2025
Algorithm
Seamlessly matches new orders with returns
Our matching engine pairs each return with the closest new order in real time. It only Forwards when the math works in your favour, so you never lose money on a match.
- Methodology developed with research collaborators at VU Amsterdam and Erasmus University Rotterdam
Inventory
Returns instantly available for resale
The moment a customer initiates a return, the item is back in your sellable inventory. No warehouse delay, no quality-check bottleneck.
- 21% return rate on Forwarded items vs ~38% industry average
Integrations
Easy integrations
Plug into your existing stack in days, not months. Pre-built connectors for the platforms you already run, plus a REST API for everything else. Also: Returnless native integration, Bleckmann return portal, Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central.
- Magento
- Shopify
- Salesforce Commerce Cloud
- REST API
For developers
RESTful API
Build Forwarding into any custom checkout or returns flow. Our API is fully documented and ready to use.
POST /api/v1/listings
Authorization: api-key YOUR_KEY
{
"sku": "JACKET-001-M",
"productId": "prod_12345",
"returnReason": "wrong_size",
"condition": "like_new"
}
→ 201 Created
{
"listingId": 4821,
"status": "matching",
"matchingDeadline": "2025-05-01T12:00:00Z"
}
“Why was no one else doing this, it's a no-brainer.”
Peter Schuitema
Co-owner, Kuyichi
Kuyichi has been live on Forwarding since February 2025. First-month results: 43% sender adoption, 4.8/5 buyer rating.
Recent activity
What we've been up to.
In the press
All coverageBNR Nieuwsradio
Pitch on BNR Zakendoen
Carl pitched Forwarding on BNR Nieuwsradio's daily business show Zakendoen, covering the peer-to-peer return economics and the road to scale.
Selected for eBay's 2026 Circular Fashion Fund
Finalist of the 2026 eBay Circular Fashion Fund. Pilot scoping with eBay is now under way; the Fund backs partners building circular-retail infrastructure across resale, repair, and return routing.
Bluebird Day
Bluebird Day Podcast
Interview on circular commerce and how open infrastructure unlocks new return models for fashion retailers.
Recent updates
All newsPitch on BNR Zakendoen
Carl pitched Forwarding on BNR Nieuwsradio's daily business show Zakendoen: the economics of peer-to-peer returns and the road to scale.
On the Bluebird Day podcast
Podcast conversation with Bluebird Day on circular commerce and how open infrastructure unlocks new return models.
Selected for eBay's 2026 Circular Fashion Fund
It Goes Forward has been picked as a finalist of the 2026 eBay Circular Fashion Fund. Pilot scoping with eBay is now underway.
Supported and recognised by
Erasmus University RotterdamVU AmsterdamA.P. Moller - Maersk
Together we can tackle this issue
Peer-to-peer returns is a proven and effective method for drastically reducing returns to the warehouse and the daily destruction of tons of returned clothes.
Learn more about our environmental impact →Forwarding is one of the few solutions that produces measurable, ISO-standard CO₂ savings, ready for CSRD reporting. Compliance details →
Free yourself of the returns rat race
Set up Forwarding in under a week. Monthly contract. First Forward pays for the integration.
Stay in the loop
Product updates, sustainability research, and the occasional team note. No spam.
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