Podcast Summary: The Agile Brand with Greg Kihlström®

Episode #774: Seel CRO Laura Huddle on Seeing Customer Returns as an Opportunity

Release Date: November 25, 2025
Host: Greg Kihlström
Guest: Laura Huddle, Chief Revenue Officer, Seel

Episode Overview

This episode challenges the conventional wisdom that customer returns are just a cost center for retailers. Greg Kihlström and guest Laura Huddle (CRO at Seel) explore how a data-driven, AI-powered post-purchase strategy can transform returns into an engine for customer retention, loyalty, and sustainable business growth. Laura shares deep expertise and real-world insight, positioning returns not as a liability, but as a strategic lever for differentiation and competitive advantage.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. The Returns Problem: Scale and Impact

• Returns Are Expensive:
  Returns cost retailers 20–25% of revenue globally, representing a trillion-dollar challenge.

  “The average brand loses 17% of revenue to refunds and they spend another 8% on non shipping opex to operate their post purchase services. So that's a whopping 25% of top line revenue.”
  — Laura Huddle [07:28]

• Industry Gaps:
  Most brands can’t match Amazon’s seamless return experience, leaving a large competitive gap.
• Seel’s Solution:
  Seel takes on the financial and operational risks of returns, offering predictability and speed for both consumers and merchants.

2. Changing Consumer Behavior:

• Surge in Returns:
  Over the past year, retailers saw a 30% YoY increase in return rates among the same cohort, largely due to:
  • Economic anxiety (recession fears, tighter budgets)
  • Normalization of “try before you buy” behavior
  • Increased buyer’s remorse

  “Higher consumer anxiety like recession fears, job uncertainty, tighter budgets, more buyer's remorse. Consumers are double thinking non-essential purchases and even like a try before you buy that's now normalized which drives higher return volume even when products aren't defective.”
  — Laura Huddle [04:51]

• Returns Are a Deciding Factor:
  74% of shoppers won’t purchase without a return option. Post-purchase is now integral to buying decisions, not an afterthought.

3. Redefining Returns: From Cost Center to Growth Engine

• Operational First Steps:
  • Outsource post-purchase burden to platforms like Seel.
  • Provide returns for final sale items to remove buyer anxiety and clear inventory.
• Concrete Outcomes from Seel’s Approach:
  • Increased conversion rates (especially on final sale items).
  • Higher average order value (AOV) as purchase confidence is boosted.
  • Lower operating expenses (by shifting support burden).

  “Returns can become a data engine, a trust builder, and ultimately a conversion lever, not just a cost.”
  — Laura Huddle [09:01]

• Customer Examples:
  • Rue La La and Gilt Group expanded return reasons from product issues to fit and personal preference.
  • Kai by Kylie Jenner used “worry free purchase” to boost buyer trust.

4. The Role of AI & Data in Returns Optimization

• AI Drives Predictable, Instant Experiences:
  • AI enables instant return decisions and refunds, reducing friction and building trust.
  • Aggregating data enables smarter forecasting and infrastructure beyond what individual retailers can manage.

  “AI is what makes returns predictable instead of chaotic, turning guesswork into data driven decisions.”
  — Laura Huddle [10:07]

• Data as a Moat:
  Compounding insights from every return inform future merchandising and customer experiences.

5. The Business Case for Post-Purchase Investment

• Winning Over CFOs:
  Investing in returns management yields:
  • Higher conversion and repeat purchase rates
  • Lower support costs
  • Measurable, consistent impact on profit margins
  • Free and quick to implement for retailers

  “We remove a major cost center while lifting top line revenue, which is why the ROI story lands with CFOs.”
  — Laura Huddle [14:24]

6. Navigating External Pressures: Sustainability & Regulation

• Circularity as Differentiator:
  • Seel facilitates resale of returned merchandise through marketplaces, minimizing waste and extending product life.
  • Transparency in policies and greener return routes build consumer trust.

  “The biggest opportunity is in circularity. We need to ensure that returned items are resold and reused rather than being wasted and going to landfill.”
  — Laura Huddle [15:15]

• Regulatory Pressure:
  • Brands are increasingly required to be accountable for post-purchase waste; the agile ones see this as a chance to lead.

7. Long-Term Competitive Advantage

• Compounding Loyalty and Insight:
  • Brands delivering seamless return experiences earn long-term loyalty “that money cannot buy.”

  “The moat is the consumer: Brands that deliver a frictionless trusted post purchase experience, they'll earn loyalty that money cannot buy.”
  — Laura Huddle [17:05]

• Data Advantage:
  • Each return generates valuable insights, building a competitive moat through better forecasting and tailored experiences.

8. Looking Ahead: The Future of Returns

• Returns as Core of the Circular Economy:
  • Even secondhand platforms will adopt flexible returns to drive loyalty and demand.
  • Risk-free shopping will become a baseline expectation, well beyond Amazon.

  “Consumers will expect risk free shopping everywhere, not just on Amazon. Removing the risk from buying will reshape how merchants think about conversion, AOV and customer lifetime value.”
  — Laura Huddle [18:13]

9. Staying Agile as a Leader

• Customer Obsession:
  • Laura studies customer behavior across environments and geographies to spot shifting expectations—especially among Gen Z and Gen Alpha.

  “One negative experience means that Gen Z is likely not coming back. So for me, I look to future generations…they're really redefining what good looks like and I like to watch those shifts closely to stay on my toes.”
  — Laura Huddle [19:35]

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Shifting Mindset:

  “My key takeaway here is that post purchase experience is now a core part of the buying decision and not an afterthought.”
  — Laura Huddle [05:37]

• On Returns as Opportunity:

  “That shift unlocks three practical wins: Conversion lift, higher AOV, and lower operating expenses.”
  — Laura Huddle [08:12]

• On Sustainability:

  “Transparency is also key. Clear options really build trust with consumers.”
  — Laura Huddle [15:44]

• On Data's Power:

  “Every return generates insights into future forecasting, merchandising and the customer experience. And that advantage compounds over time.”
  — Laura Huddle [17:31]

Timestamps for Major Segments

• [02:20] Laura’s background and Seel’s mission
• [04:51] Emerging trends in returns & consumer behavior
• [07:28] Financial & operational burden of returns
• [09:01] Tactical steps for transforming returns into a growth lever
• [10:07] Role of AI and data in optimizing post-purchase experience
• [13:45] Making the business case: Metrics CFOs care about
• [15:15] Sustainability, regulatory pressures, and the circular economy
• [17:05] Long-term competitive moats & loyalty through seamless returns
• [18:03] The future: Returns as part of circular economy and risk-free shopping
• [18:50] Staying agile: Learning from customers and future generations

Conclusion

This episode reframes returns from a dreaded operational liability into a strategic opportunity—arguing that those who master the post-purchase experience will outcompete on loyalty, data, and sustainability. Laura Huddle advocates for customer-centric, tech-enabled agility as the new foundation of retail growth.

For More:
Visit Seel's website and connect with Laura Huddle via the show notes.
Listen to more episodes at theagilebrand.com