Blubirch offered reverse supply chain solutions by automating return processing, improving quality grading and offering an auction marketplace for remarketing of returned products. The increasing trend of customers ordering more items than needed from online marketplaces, so that they could try out the items in the convenience of the home and return the rest, led to an increase in the volume, variety and value of product returns. By extending product lifespan and lowering returns processing costs, Blubirch enhanced the profitability of retailers and original equipment manufacturers (OEMs), and reduced environmental impact. In addition, the auction marketplace enabled retailers to quickly liquidate returned products and achieve better realisations while Blubirch earned a portion of the resale value. A robust design of the auction market enabled Blubirch to tackle bidder collusion, the winner’s curse, adverse selection and moral hazard problems. The co-founders of Blubirch were grappling with challenges and opportunities in growing the firm and prioritising opportunities for international expansion while managing financial constraints and operational bandwidth.