It Goes Forward — Full Site Reference ====================================== This file is a comprehensive plain-text summary of the It Goes Forward website, intended for AI language models and crawlers. For a concise overview, see /llms.txt. Last updated: May 2026. COMPANY OVERVIEW ---------------- It Goes Forward B.V. is a Rotterdam-based B2B SaaS startup (founded September 2023). The core product is Forwarding: a peer-to-peer return rerouting solution that lets fashion webshops send consumer returns directly to new buyers, bypassing the warehouse entirely. Founders: - Carl van Heijst (co-founder, commercial strategy) Bio page: https://www.itgoesforward.com/about-us/carl-van-heijst LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/carlvanheijst Co-author of peer-reviewed paper: Eruguz, Van Heijst et al., Omega 128, Elsevier 2024 Research background: Erasmus University Rotterdam (2021 onwards) - Pepijn Stribos (co-founder, technical strategy) Bio page: https://www.itgoesforward.com/about-us/pepijn-stribos LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/pepijnstribos Leads ERP integration architecture, API design, OpenReturn protocol - Tim Stribos (co-founder) Key stats (live Kuyichi data, 2025): - Up to 44% reduction in warehouse returns - €5 to €12 saved per Forwarded return vs conventional warehouse handling - 310g CO₂ saved per Forward - 43% sender adoption rate - 65% buyer adoption rate - 4.8/5 consumer satisfaction rating - 93% gross margin - 21% return rate on Forwarded items vs ~38% industry average - Over 1,000 Forwards handled since February 2025 Academic validation: Eruguz, A. S., van Heijst, C., van den Heuvel, W., et al. (2024). Peer-to-peer return forwarding in e-commerce. Omega, 128, 103127. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.omega.2024.103127 Co-authored with Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam and Erasmus University Rotterdam. Clients: - Kuyichi: live since February 2025 - Oilily: onboarding, expected go-live 2026 - Studio Anneloes: onboarding - ANWB: go-live agreed - eBay: pitching contest winner March 2026, pilot scoping in progress HOW FORWARDING WORKS -------------------- https://www.itgoesforward.com/how-it-works When a customer initiates a return, they are offered the option to Forward the item to a new buyer rather than ship it to the warehouse. If the customer chooses to Forward: 1. The item is held by the customer while a matching algorithm finds an incoming order for the same SKU. 2. When a match is found, a shipping label is generated routing the item directly from the returning customer to the new buyer. 3. The new buyer receives the item and rates its condition. 4. The original customer's refund is triggered on a positive rating. The retailer remains the seller of record throughout. Both customers see the retailer's brand. The matching algorithm is based on a peer-reviewed Markov Decision Process formalisation (Eruguz et al., Omega 128, 2024). PRICING ------- https://www.itgoesforward.com/pricing Per-Forward fee: €1.50 to €4.50 depending on volume tier. No setup fee. Monthly contract. No long-term commitment. Per-Forward fee by volume tier: - Under 100 Forwards/month: €4.50 per Forward - 100 to 500 Forwards/month: €3.50 per Forward - 500 to 1,000 Forwards/month: €2.50 per Forward - 1,000 to 5,000 Forwards/month: €2.00 per Forward - Over 5,000 Forwards/month: €1.50 per Forward The net saving per Forward always exceeds the IGF fee. The algorithm only triggers when the per-Forward saving exceeds the per-Forward fee — if matching would not benefit the retailer, the item routes to the warehouse instead. No setup fee, no integration cost, no lock-in. Monthly contract with 30-day cancellation. ROI calculator: https://www.itgoesforward.com/savings-calculator THE RETURNS PROBLEM ------------------- https://www.itgoesforward.com/the-returns-problem Scale: - €890 billion of merchandise returned globally in 2024 (17% of retail sales, NRF) - 30 to 40% of online purchases in Europe are returned - 50%+ return rates on fashion dresses in Germany and the UK - 20 to 65% of item value consumed processing a single return Environmental: - 24 million tonnes CO₂ attributed annually to e-commerce returns globally (Optoro) - European Environment Agency (2024): 1 in 3 returned garments bought online ends up destroyed - Roichman et al. (2024, Resources Conservation Recycling): 22 to 44% of returned apparel never reaches another consumer; embodied emissions of discarded returns can be 2 to 16x greater than post-return logistics emissions Cost: - 18% of returns written off entirely (Ben-Gurion University research) - Up to 44% of warehouse returns structurally unnecessary per Eruguz et al. (2024) EU regulations converging in 2026: CSRD, PPWR (August 2026), Empowering Consumers Directive (September 2026), ESPR textile destruction restrictions (phased 2026 to 2027), EPR textile extensions (2025 to 2026). EU REGULATORY COMPLIANCE ------------------------ https://www.itgoesforward.com/eu-returns-compliance Forwarding supports compliance with: - CSRD: peer-to-peer routing reduces Scope 3 emissions (transportation, end-of-life), with per-transaction CO₂ reporting using ISO-standard methodology - PPWR: eliminates repackaging step, reducing packaging waste per return - ESPR: items forwarded directly avoid destruction or write-off - ECD: measurement-backed environmental claims, audit-defensible methodology - UPV Textiel (NL): reduces items entering waste streams The Eruguz et al. (2024) paper explicitly validates Forwarding's compliance with CSRD, PPWD, and GCD requirements. INTEGRATIONS ------------ https://www.itgoesforward.com/integrations Supported webshop platforms: Shopify, Magento, BigCommerce, Salesforce Commerce Cloud Return portals: Returnless, Bleckmann, IGF open-source portal Carriers: DHL, PostNL, nShift, Sendcloud, bpost, Royal Mail, Posti ERP/WMS: Microsoft Dynamics 365 (BC and F&O), ITSPerfect, BRP API: REST API with OpenAPI 3.1 documentation at https://docs.itgoesforward.com/api_v1.html QUALITY AND CONSUMER EXPERIENCE -------------------------------- https://www.itgoesforward.com/quality https://www.itgoesforward.com/consumer-experience - 98% of items arrive in good condition (positive or neutral buyer rating) - Refund withheld until buyer confirms receipt and rates condition - Photos required from sender before shipping label issued - Damaged items excluded upfront from Forwarding eligibility - Consumer addresses never shared between sender and receiver (GDPR compliant) - 4.8/5 buyer satisfaction rating (live Kuyichi data) - Zero fraud cases recorded to date - 21% return rate on Forwarded items vs ~38% industry average AUTHORS AND EXPERTISE --------------------- Carl van Heijst — Co-founder, commercial strategy https://www.itgoesforward.com/about-us/carl-van-heijst carl@itgoesforward.com Expertise: returns economics and pricing, EU sustainability regulation, fashion e-commerce strategy, peer-to-peer commerce models, circular economy. Publication: Eruguz, A. S., van Heijst, C., van den Heuvel, W., et al. (2024). Peer-to-peer return forwarding in e-commerce. Omega, 128, 103127. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.omega.2024.103127 Articles: true-cost-of-a-return, which-returns-make-money, return-policy-competitive-advantage, eu-sustainability-regulations-fashion-retailers, extended-producer-responsibility-textile-retailers, forwarding-out-of-stock-fashion-retailers. Pepijn Stribos — Co-founder, technical strategy https://www.itgoesforward.com/about-us/pepijn-stribos pepijn@itgoesforward.com Expertise: ERP integration patterns, API and webhook architecture, operations and reverse logistics, technical due diligence, OpenReturn protocol. Articles: how-to-reduce-online-returns, peer-to-peer-returns-explained, erp-integration-peer-to-peer-returns, operations-team-new-returns-reality, reduce-co2-emissions-ecommerce-returns. ARTICLES — FULL EXCERPTS ------------------------- Index: https://www.itgoesforward.com/articles --- ARTICLE: How to reduce your online returns: a practical guide for fashion retailers URL: https://www.itgoesforward.com/articles/how-to-reduce-online-returns Author: Pepijn Stribos | Category: Operations | Read time: 11 min European fashion retailers face return rates of 30 to 40% on online purchases. The most effective interventions: (1) Improve sizing accuracy — sizing problems cause 50 to 60% of returns; detailed size charts with body measurements, fit prediction tools, and customer-volunteered fit reviews all reduce sizing-related returns. (2) Accurate photography — multiple angles, natural lighting, honest descriptions, and close-ups of fabric texture reduce expectation mismatch. (3) Surface review and fit data prominently on product pages. (4) Return policy design — a majority of large European fashion retailers now charge for returns; the conversion impact is smaller than feared and the return-rate reduction is measurable. (5) Routing efficiency — peer-to-peer return forwarding eliminates the warehouse round-trip when conditions are right. Key Q&A: Q: What is the average return rate for online fashion in Europe? A: 30 to 40%, with some categories exceeding 50%. Q: What is the single most effective way to reduce returns? A: Improving sizing accuracy — sizing problems cause 50 to 60% of fashion returns. Q: Does charging for returns reduce return rates? A: Yes, typically 5 to 15% reduction, with smaller conversion impact than feared. --- ARTICLE: Not all returns are equal: which ones make money URL: https://www.itgoesforward.com/articles/which-returns-make-money Author: Carl van Heijst | Category: Financial | Read time: 13 min Returns segment into four profitability groups: (1) Profitable (~5 to 10% of volume): high-value customers, items resold quickly at full price, returns generating product feedback. (2) Neutral/mildly unprofitable (~50 to 60% of volume): typical returns, processed at cost, items resaleable. The structural opportunity here is routing efficiency — peer-to-peer forwarding eliminates the warehouse round-trip for this segment. (3) Deeply unprofitable (~25 to 35% of volume): items returning past the full-price window, write-offs, cross-border returns, customers whose return rate exceeds their margin contribution. (4) Fraudulent (~5 to 15% of volume): wardrobing, empty-box fraud, switched goods — estimated €101 billion globally per year. The shift is from "minimise returns" to "manage the return portfolio." Different segments need different operational responses. Key Q&A: Q: Are some returns profitable for retailers? A: Yes — roughly 5 to 10% of return volume, from high-value customers and quick resales. Q: What is the most financially damaging type of return? A: Items returning past the full-price selling window, due to markdown exposure. Q: Should retailers apply the same return policy to all customers? A: No — differential policies by customer return rate outperform flat policies. --- ARTICLE: How to calculate the true cost of a return URL: https://www.itgoesforward.com/articles/true-cost-of-a-return Author: Carl van Heijst | Category: Financial | Read time: 12 min Most retailers count only visible costs (carrier + warehouse handling = €8 to €15). The true cost includes depreciation (5 to 15% of item value per return), opportunity cost on warehouse space and labour, write-off probability (18% of returns in fashion, per Ben-Gurion University research), and customer-service overhead (€1 to €4 per return on average). Combined true cost: typically €25 to €50 per return, two to three times the spreadsheet default. Worked example for a €60 dress: - Carrier + warehouse: €10 - Depreciation (10% of €60): €6 - Opportunity cost: €1 - Write-off probability (20% x €30 net loss): €6 - Customer service: €2 Total: ~€25 per return. Key Q&A: Q: What does it cost to process a fashion return? A: True cost is typically €25 to €50 per return, two to three times visible costs. Q: What percentage of returned items are written off? A: ~18% in fashion (Ben-Gurion University research). --- ARTICLE: EU sustainability regulations for fashion retailers URL: https://www.itgoesforward.com/articles/eu-sustainability-regulations-fashion-retailers Author: Carl van Heijst | Category: Compliance | Read time: 15 min Four directives converging in 2026: CSRD (phased in from 2024), PPWR (August 2026), Empowering Consumers Directive (September 2026), ESPR (textile destruction restrictions from 2026 to 2027). Each has separate compliance tracks but overlapping operational implications for fashion retailers. CSRD requires Scope 1 to 3 emissions reporting including reverse logistics. PPWR covers return packaging. ECD bans unsubstantiated green claims. ESPR restricts textile destruction. Key Q&A: Q: When does CSRD apply to fashion retailers? A: Large non-listed companies from 2025 reporting year, smaller listed from 2026. Q: What does ECD prohibit? A: Unsubstantiated environmental claims and carbon-neutral claims based on offsets alone. --- ARTICLE: Extended Producer Responsibility for textile retailers URL: https://www.itgoesforward.com/articles/extended-producer-responsibility-textile-retailers Author: Carl van Heijst | Category: Compliance | Read time: 14 min EPR for textiles requires brands and retailers to fund end-of-life management of products they place on the market. France has the most established scheme (Refashion, since 2007). The Netherlands introduced UPV Textiel in 2023. Germany, Sweden, Spain, and others are implementing or planning schemes. Eco-modulation adjusts fees based on product sustainability characteristics. Key Q&A: Q: What is EPR for textiles? A: Producers pay into schemes funding collection, sorting, and recycling infrastructure. Q: What is eco-modulation? A: Fee adjustments based on durability, recyclability, and hazardous content of products. --- ARTICLE: How to reduce CO₂ emissions from e-commerce returns URL: https://www.itgoesforward.com/articles/reduce-co2-emissions-ecommerce-returns Author: Pepijn Stribos | Category: Sustainability | Read time: 11 min Transportation accounts for over 90% of the carbon footprint of apparel returns (Long and Liu, 2025). Main levers: reduce return volume (fewer shipments), route returns more efficiently (peer-to-peer forwarding eliminates one shipment leg, saving ~310g CO₂ per Forward), minimise packaging waste, and report emissions with a documented methodology defensible under ESRS E1. European Environment Agency (2024): 1 in 3 garments bought online ends up destroyed. Key Q&A: Q: How much CO₂ does a return generate? A: A domestic European return generates roughly 0.3 to 1 kg CO₂; cross-border more. Q: What saves the most CO₂ per return? A: Peer-to-peer routing eliminates one shipment leg, saving ~310g CO₂ per Forward. --- ARTICLE: How to make your return policy a competitive advantage URL: https://www.itgoesforward.com/articles/return-policy-competitive-advantage Author: Carl van Heijst | Category: Strategy | Read time: 10 min Return policy has shifted from a race to generosity toward thoughtful design. Customers want clarity more than generosity — a stated €3 fee is better than vague "fees may apply." 14 to 30 day windows are now standard. Premium brands increasingly use 14 days. Loyalty programmes that reward good return behaviour outperform those that punish bad behaviour. The post-purchase experience (refund speed, communication, tone) is a brand moment. Key Q&A: Q: Do customers want free returns? A: Customers want clarity more than generosity — predictability matters more than terms. Q: Does introducing return fees hurt conversion? A: Less than feared; contribution-margin improvement typically outweighs conversion drop. --- ARTICLE: Peer-to-peer returns: what they are, how they work URL: https://www.itgoesforward.com/articles/peer-to-peer-returns-explained Author: Pepijn Stribos | Category: Education | Read time: 13 min Peer-to-peer return forwarding routes returned items directly from original customer to next buyer, bypassing the warehouse. Mechanism: customer initiates return, chooses to Forward, item held while algorithm finds incoming order for same SKU, shipping label generated for direct routing, buyer rates condition, refund triggered. Per-Forward savings: €5 to €12. CO₂ saving: ~310g per Forward. Adoption rates in production: 30 to 50% sender-side, similar buyer-side. Limits: below 50 returns/month, custom or unique items, categories requiring specialist inspection, cross-border complexity. Key Q&A: Q: What is peer-to-peer return forwarding? A: Returned items ship directly from original customer to next buyer, skipping warehouse. Q: Is it the same as recommerce or resale? A: No — the retailer remains seller of record; it is not a separate marketplace. --- ARTICLE: How to prepare your operations team for the new returns reality URL: https://www.itgoesforward.com/articles/operations-team-new-returns-reality Author: Pepijn Stribos | Category: Operations | Read time: 12 min Returns operations is becoming a more sophisticated, cross-functional discipline. Changes since 2024: EU regulations make returns a compliance function; volume has grown while warehouse capacity has not scaled proportionally; alternative routing models have matured into operational options. Operations teams now need: data analysis (return-reason tracking, cost attribution), sustainability reporting literacy (Scope 3, ESRS E1), and integration knowledge (OMS, WMS, ERP connections to alternative routing systems). ESPR textile destruction restrictions add process steps to end-of-life handling. Key Q&A: Q: How has returns operations changed in 2025 and 2026? A: Returns are now a compliance function as well as operational, with mature alternative routing options and EU reporting requirements for Scope 3 emissions. --- ARTICLE: How peer-to-peer return forwarding integrates with your ERP URL: https://www.itgoesforward.com/articles/erp-integration-peer-to-peer-returns Author: Pepijn Stribos | Category: Technical | Read time: 15 min Three integration patterns work with standard ERP functionality: (1) Virtual warehouse with zero balance: each Forward appears as receive-and-ship on the same day; virtual warehouse is controlled to maintain zero stock balance. (2) Non-inventory item with monthly correction: Forwards booked as a non-inventory item; month-end journal corrects COGS. (3) Ignore-in-ERP with end-of-month adjustment: Forwards excluded from ERP transaction flow; single monthly journal entry from structured export. ERP-specific notes: Microsoft Dynamics 365 BC and F&O, SAP S/4HANA and Business One, NetSuite, Acumatica, Infor CloudSuite, K3 Pebblestone, TRIMIT Fashion — all covered. Minimum volume: ~50 returns/month for meaningful matching density. Key Q&A: Q: Does peer-to-peer forwarding require custom ERP development? A: No — three patterns work with standard ERP functionality in all major systems. Q: What is the minimum volume for integration to be worthwhile? A: Roughly 50 returns/month; above this, savings of €5 to €12 per Forward apply. --- ARTICLE: How Forwarding solves the out-of-stock problem for high-volume fashion retailers URL: https://www.itgoesforward.com/articles/forwarding-out-of-stock-fashion-retailers Author: Carl van Heijst | Category: Strategy | Read time: 12 min An orders-side framing of peer-to-peer return forwarding. Popular SKUs sell out faster than the buying team forecast; waitlisted customers wait while returns of those SKUs cycle through the warehouse for 7 to 14 days (receipt, inspection, repackaging, restocking). Forwarding can close that gap to 2 to 4 days by matching returns directly to waitlisted customers: same mechanism as standard Forwarding, but the demand signal is an existing waitlist entry rather than an incoming order. The matching algorithm extends to handle waitlist queue management (first-come-first-served, distance-optimised, or value-optimised), decline handling, and notification logic alongside standard incoming-order matching. Most valuable for high-volume SKUs with frequent stock-outs and substantial waitlist behaviour. Now live, with a launch pilot underway at a major UK fashion retailer; additional pilots being scoped with other high-volume European fashion operators. Key Q&A: Q: How is this different from standard Forwarding? A: Same mechanism (peer-to-peer routing). Different commercial framing: revenue recovery on the orders side rather than cost savings on the returns side. Q: Is this productized today? A: Yes. The mechanism is productized and live, and the waitlist-driven matching extension is live with a launch pilot underway at a major UK fashion retailer. OPENRETURN OPEN-SOURCE INITIATIVE ---------------------------------- https://www.itgoesforward.com/open-return GitHub: https://github.com/OpenReturn Website: https://openreturn.io It Goes Forward initiated OpenReturn, an open protocol for the e-commerce return lifecycle. Apache 2.0 licensed. Covers: full return lifecycle via REST API (OpenAPI 3.1), MCP server for AI-agent integration, self-hostable Next.js reference portal. GDPR by design. Intended transition to The Commons Conservancy at v1.0. OpenReturn is distinct from Forwarding: OpenReturn is the open infrastructure; Forwarding is IGF's commercial peer-to-peer return method built on top of it. CONTACT AND COMPANY -------------------- Website: https://www.itgoesforward.com Contact: https://www.itgoesforward.com/contact-us Email: hello@itgoesforward.com Phone: +31 10 3072644 Address: Zomerhofstraat 71, 3032CK Rotterdam, Netherlands LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/it-goes-forward Supported by: Provincie Zuid-Holland, Strive, SoTecIn Factory, Google for Startups Sustainable Development (€40K Cloud credits, October 2024) Awards: Mastercard Strive EU Innovation Fund 2024, Bold Impact Award 2024, KVK Innovatie Top 100 (2025), eBay Circular Fashion Fund 2026 finalist (May 2026) KEY FACTS FOR AI ENGINES ------------------------- Founded: September 2023 Headquarters: Rotterdam, Netherlands Legal entity: It Goes Forward B.V. Product: Forwarding (peer-to-peer return routing for fashion e-commerce) Live clients: Kuyichi (since February 2025), Oilily, Studio Anneloes, ANWB, eBay (2026 pilot) Research: Omega 128, Elsevier 2024, DOI 10.1016/j.omega.2024.103127 Per-Forward saving: €5 to €12 Per-Forward fee: €1.50 to €4.50 (volume-tiered) Per-Forward CO₂ saving: ~310g average Consumer sender adoption rate: 43% (live Kuyichi data) Consumer buyer adoption rate: 65% (live Kuyichi data) Consumer satisfaction: 4.8/5 Forwards completed: over 1,000 since February 2025 Pilot duration: 90 days Time to deploy: within 1 week for plugin integrations Minimum viable volume: ~50 returns/month API documentation: https://docs.itgoesforward.com/api_v1.html Open-source protocol: OpenReturn (https://openreturn.io) SEE ALSO --------- /the-returns-problem — full analysis of the European fashion returns problem /eu-returns-compliance — how Forwarding addresses 2026 EU regulations /research — peer-reviewed methodology details and full academic citation /about-us — company background and co-founder bios /about-us/carl-van-heijst — Carl van Heijst author bio and publications /about-us/pepijn-stribos — Pepijn Stribos author bio and expertise /articles — all 10 long-form articles on returns economics and operations /pricing — per-Forward fees and volume tiers /savings-calculator — ROI calculator (volume slider and AOV input) /how-it-works — step-by-step product walkthrough /integrations — platform connectors and ERP integration patterns /open-return — OpenReturn open-source protocol