Students at schools and colleges across the Midlands are being invited to come up with a solution to a problem that is costing British retailers billions of pounds a year.

Learn by Design, in association with Think Logistics, is launching ‘Delivering Promises: How to Solve the Returns Problem in Logistics’ - a competition that challenges students to devise ways of reducing the damage caused to the environment and the massive costs incurred by retailers as they struggle to process the huge amount of goods that are bought online and subsequently returned.

The competition is part of The Big Bang programme of UK-wide events that aim to get students excited about science, technology and engineering. 

The winning team will be presented with a cheque for £750 to be shared among the students, while the runners up, third and fourth-placed entries will receive £350, £250 and £150 respectively.

“Dealing with the sheer volume of products that are purchased online and sent back is a massive headache for retailers,” says Learn By Design’s Big Bang programme manager, Michelle Lewis.

Michelle Lewis continues: “According to a recent survey by Barclaycard, some 50 per cent of fashion and apparel goods bought online in the UK are returned. 

“And it’s a growing problem. Barclaycard found that the average British shopper spends £313 on online shopping each year but returns just under half of the items bought.

Bethany Fovargue, Operations Manager for NOVUS, a founding member of Think Logistics (a group that promotes logistics careers to young people), adds: “25 per cent of retailers have experienced an increase in return rates over the past two years, while 40 per cent of fashion brands reported a rise in refunds.”

Students can submit their propositions via email to [email protected] and each entry will be considered by a high profile judging panel made up of executives from some of Britain’s leading retailers and supply chain specialists.

A shortlist comprising the four most impressive entries will be announced and representatives from each shortlisted school or college will be asked to present their solution to the judging panel at The Big Bang @ IMHX 2019. IMHX 2019 is the leading trade event for the UK logistics industry and takes place at the NEC, Birmingham on 24-27 September 2019.

Entry to Learn By Design’s ‘Delivering Promises: How to Solve the Returns Problem in Logistics’ competition is restricted to students aged 16 and above.

The competition will be a feature of Big Bang @ IMHX – an area within the IMHX show dedicated to highlighting the exciting career opportunities available to graduates and school leavers within the logistics and supply chain sectors.

Learn by Design works on behalf of schools, corporate and public sector clients to provide a range of educational products and services designed to inspire future generations. The organisation’s workshops range from individual activity days to enterprise education and STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Maths) curriculum areas.

For further details of how your school or college group can get involved in the ‘How to Solve the Returns Problem in Logistics’ competition please email [email protected]

www.imhx.net