Ethical home accessories brand Nkuku teams with Back.tech to rethink returns across business
Back.tech is partnering with Nkuku to improve how it manages consumer returns, reverse logistics and recommerce. In a LinkedIn post, Giorgio Vitale, Co-founder and CRO at Back.Tech, said: "A big part of what makes this special is Operations & Impact Director Chris Wilson’s vision for reverse logistics at Nkuku - moving beyond current state returns processing to a smarter, connected reverse lifecycle for every product."
"This means rethinking returns across the full operation: DTC e-commerce - streamlined parcel returns; Big and bulky items - smarter grading, routing and resale decisions; B2B supplier returns - improved visibility and control upstream to optimise downstream requirements; Recommerce - maximising value through quicker resale and redistribution. This is exactly where we add new value."
Back.tech's AI powered grading and dynamic routing engine helps businesses accurately assess condition, automate decisioning, and optimise where every item should go next.
For Nkuku, this will improve reverse logistics performance by: Reducing operating costs through automation and fewer manual decisions; Improving delivery and handling efficiency across return flows; Unlocking net savings by routing items to the highest value recovery path faster and more accurately; Increasing recovery rates across both parcel and bulky inventory streams.
2026 RTIH Innovation Awards
Returns will be a key focus area at the 2026 RTIH Innovation Awards.
The awards are now open for entries and celebrate global retail technology innovation in a fast moving omnichannel world.
Our winners will be revealed at the 2026 RTIH Innovation Awards Ceremony, taking place at The HAC in Central London on Wednesday, 4th November.
Check out our 2025 winners here.
Our 2025 hall of fame entrants were revealed during a sold out event which took place at The HAC on 16th October and consisted of a drinks reception, three course meal, and awards ceremony presided over by award winning comedian, actress and writer Tiff Stevenson.
In his welcome speech, Scott Thompson, Founder and Editor, RTIH, said: “This is the awards’ fifth year as a physical event. We started off with just 30 people at the South Place Hotel not far from here, then moved to London Bridge Hotel, then The Barbican, and last year RIBA’s HQ in the West End.”
“But I’m conscious of the fact that, to quote the legend that is Taylor Swift, You’re only as hot as your last hit, baby. So, this year we’ve moved to our biggest venue yet, and also pulled in our largest number of entries to date and broken attendance records.”
He added: “This year’s submissions have without doubt been our best yet. To quote one of the judges: The examples of innovative developments across both traditional and digital retail spaces were truly remarkable.”
Congratulations to our winners, and a big thank you to our sponsors, judging panel, the legend that is Tiff Stevenson, and all those who attended our 2025 gathering.
