Kindrunner.com and UPS
Help Runners Go the Distance
When Mike Conforti
started Kindrunner.com,
a New Jersey-based
e-retailer for runners,
he wanted to make it
an exceptional online
experience. Not only did
he seek to provide his
customers with a convenient way to shop, he was
determined to do it in a
socially- and ecologicallyresponsible way.
Conforti had already embraced superior customer service as a fundamental value of
his brick-and-mortar running stores, Sneaker Factory Running Centers. Giving runners
the same positive experience online – personal consultations, expert advice, quality
running products, easy returns and exchanges – all while protecting the environment
would be the challenge in creating Kindrunner.com. As a long-time UPS® customer,
Conforti approached the global logistics expert to discuss plans for his new venture.
Good for the Sole
Runners replace their shoes two to three times per year, and discarded pairs can take
100 years to decompose in a landfill. Instead of throwing them out, Conforti created
a program motivating customers to return their old shoes in exchange for Kindness
Cash™ which can be spent on Kindrunner.com. Conforti’s company then donates the
old shoes to global nonprofit organizations such as Soles4Souls that sends shoes and
clothing to people in need.
“We collect old shoes from our customers at our cost,” said Conforti. “We needed a
solution that met our operational needs as well as the needs of our customers and nonprofit partners while keeping our margins on a profitable track to long-term success.”
Accomplishing the complex chain of deliveries in an efficient and environmentallyconscious way takes expertise. UPS account manager Bruce Harris increased visibility
into shipments by integrating UPS WorldShip® and Quantum View® Data into the
Kindrunner.com’s software. With these solutions, Conforti can easily see which customers
have shipped back their used running shoes, allowing him to reward them with Kindness Cash as soon as the returned shoes enter the UPS network.
“UPS has implemented solutions that save us more than 500 hours a year in labor
costs,” Conforti said. “Instead of processing the donated running shoes ourselves,
returned shoes go directly to our nonprofit partners.”
Making an Impact with Carbon Neutral Shipping
Delivering donated running shoes directly to Kindrunner’s nonprofit partners saves
more than time and money. It eliminates an extra step in the shipping process,
reducing the carbon footprint of each donation.
“We wanted to get our customers’ used shoes to people in need without increasing our
carbon footprint,” Conforti said. “UPS helped us develop a system so that the shoes
don’t get sent all the way back to us for redistribution but go directly to a nearby
charity.” Using UPS technologies, the customers get a printed label that directs
donated shoes to be sent to a location limited to an approximate 600-mile radius from
the customer’s home. According to Conforti, sending the shoes directly to his non-profit
partners’ regional locations has also reduced their return shipping expenses by more
than 30 percent.
Conforti also invests in UPS’s carbon neutral shipping option. For pennies per package,
he works with UPS to purchase carbon offsets that minimize the impact his shipments
have on the environment. UPS then uses the funds to support certified environmentally
responsible projects around the world.
“Using carbon neutral shipping was an easy decision,” said Conforti. “I started
Kindrunner.com to help people but also to create a sustainable for-profit business that
makes sense.”
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Free Three Way Shipping™
Keeps Customers
Running Back
Running a sustainable business also relies
on providing a positive customer experience. Delivering quality service without a
lot of wait time keeps consumers happy,
and easy returns are especially important
for online businesses like Kindrunner.com.
Conforti touts free shipping, and he also
offers free returns and free re-shipping
to guarantee his customers’ satisfaction.
Working with UPS technology, Conforti
can better manage his inventory along
with his Kindness Cash Rewards Program
to save time and resources.
“Competing on price as an online business
can become a race to the bottom,” said
Conforti. “Kindrunner’s success is based
on having a strong relationship with our
customers and taking care of the things
they care about – receiving high quality
products and services without sacrificing
environmental and social responsibility.”