Multi-time founder, Doug Nielsen’s newest company, Rush ReCommerce is innovating in the retail space. The company blends e-commerce with returns – allowing customers to find products that were returned by others at significant discounts. The evolution of this new business was accelerated by the changing retail landscape of COVID-19, but the need for a better return-oriented business has been an open issue for many ecommerce companies.
Rush ReCommerce has developed an end-to-end solution for home goods ecommerce returns and excess products. Most returns, especially bulky items, end up stuck in warehouses or may be disposed of due to high shipping and processing costs. With Rush ReCommerce’s solution, products are returned directly to Rush’s network and processed with specialized software that evaluates products for greater recovery. The company is pioneering resale of open box home goods online, through its flagship marketplace The Rush Market. The Rush Market is located in West Omaha in renovated space in the Oak View Mall.
The company closed a $12.9 million Series A financing. The company intends to use the newly invested capital to enhance its solution and accelerate the growth of its recommerce network. The round was led by Beringea with participation from Advantage Capital and existing shareholders.
Rush ReCommerce has processed over 225,000 products with a retail value of $60 million and has helped save over 5 million pounds of products from landfills. With its multi-faceted approach to tackle this ever-growing problem, the company’s mission is to turn the negative aspects of returns into positives for retailers, suppliers, customers, and the environment. Rush ReCommerce is currently working with 150 manufacturers and brands to handle their online return volume.
Rush ReCommerce CEO and Co-Founder Doug Nielsen has spent the majority of his career in home furnishings ecommerce: “Online returns are a huge problem for ecommerce players. The returns create dents in the sellers’ customer experience and profits. We are working to pound out those dents. We’re excited to partner with like-minded investors who recognize this growing problem and are committed to helping support our mission.”
“The market needs addressed by Rush ReCommerce’s solutions will only grow as the ecommerce model displaces brick-and-mortar shopping for even large home goods purchases,” said William Blake III, lead investor in the round and partner at Beringea. “By bringing bulky products that would otherwise end up in a landfill back into the circular economy, Rush ReCommerce is a platform for brands to profitably meet sustainability goals.”
“Rush ReCommerce is a great example of the types of businesses we seek to support. The company has a unique model that is changing the way goods are recirculated and distributed to new customers. This model has an immense opportunity for expansion, and we are eager to see it grow,” said Damon Rawie, Managing Director, Advantage Capital. “Additionally, we are excited to see the company developing in a part of Omaha that will benefit greatly from the additional jobs the company’s expansion will bring.”
The company represents a continued evolution of the entrepreneurial journey of one of Omaha’s serial entrepreneurs – Doug Nielsen. Nielsen’s journey includes the founding with his sister, Julie Mahloch, of Giftcertificates.com and the company that ultimately was named Hayneedle.com. For most of their careers, Nielsen and Mahloch have been challenging the boundaries around commerce, ecommerce, and now recommerce.
