The growth of e-commerce in Brazil has brought many business opportunities, but also major logistical challenges. In 2023, global online sales reached $5.8 trillion, and the construction of new storage spaces exceeded 148 million square meters, according to data from the NAIOP portal. In Brazil, the increasing volume of returns reinforces the need for a network of collection points capable of efficiently serving different regions.
Faced with this challenge, capillarity has become a survival factor for companies seeking to optimize reverse logistics and offer better solutions to consumers.
Challenges of a continental country
In a country with continental dimensions like Brazil, reverse logistics faces challenges ranging from transportation to collection in more remote locations. Electronic devices, such as modems, routers, and set-top boxes, require efficient systems for collection, transportation, and reconditioning or recycling.
Without a well-structured collection network, companies may suffer from high transportation costs, delays and difficulties in meeting consumer demands.
Specialist in telecommunications logistics solutions, PostalGow found in capillarity a way to overcome these barriers. With more than 6,300 Correios agencies and 2,800 return stations equipped to receive, deliver, return, and store packages—spread across the country—the company facilitates equipment returns by consumers in various locations. This structure allows reducing the operational costs of the contracting parties and responding more quickly to the needs of retail and end customers.
Practical and technological solutions
Reverse logistics requires more than a broad network; it also demands the integration of technology to ensure operational efficiency. PostalGow developed the DevolvaFácil platform, which offers integrated solutions for the return of products in an agile and traceable manner. The tool is compatible with the contracting companies' ERP systems, enabling automated management of returns and real-time monitoring of each stage of the process.
Carlos Tanaka, founder of PostalGow, explains that technology is one of the pillars to make operational capillarity. Decentralized collection points, integrated with monitoring systems, ensure efficiency and control. This allows companies to handle demand peaks, such as those recorded on Black Friday, without losing service quality, he explains.
At PostalGow Distribution Centers, strategically located in regions such as Barueri, Manaus, Brasília, and Porto Alegre, the collected items go through sorting, reconditioning, and recycling. This approach ensures that equipment is recovered or properly disposed of, promoting practices aligned with environmental and sustainability standards.
Customer Experience
In addition to optimizing companies' logistical processes, capillarity also improves the consumer experience. The ease of returning products at nearby locations and the offer of incentives, such as discounts or loyalty programs, make the reverse logistics process more accessible.
Tanaka highlights that the proximity between collection points and consumers reduces barriers to product returns. "Facilitating access to return points encourages customer participation and reinforces the company's image as committed to practical and sustainable solutions," he/she states.
Benefits for the retail market
In retail, extensive reverse logistics provides significant gains. Companies reduce their transportation and storage costs, as well as improve inventory management efficiency. The integration of collection and distribution systems with advanced technology also allows for greater predictability and control over operations.
PostalGow, with its "end-to-end" approach, delivers solutions that cover everything from collection to reconditioning and final delivery of equipment. In 2023, the company experienced a 60% growth, strengthening its position as a reference in the reverse logistics sector in Brazil.
